Description of the attraction
Sankt Veit an der Glan is an Austrian city located in the Carinthia region and is the capital of the district of the same name. The earliest evidence of settlement in the territory of the present municipality is a fragment of the wall of a medieval building. According to legend, the foundation of the city was preceded by a battle against the Hungarians in 901. Duke Bernhard Spanhain (1202-1256) built St. Vitus Castle in the village, which was described in documents as a fort. Since 1205, coins have been minted in the village. In 1224 St. Veit received city status and a jury. In 1335, Carinthia passed into the possession of the Habsburgs, and the castle of St. Vitus lost its significance. During the five invasions of the Turks from 1473 to 1492, the city was partially destroyed and burned.
In 1713 and 1715, plague raged in St. Veit an der Glan. During the reign of Joseph II, the city experienced an economic decline, and by 1830 there were only 1,500 inhabitants in the city, while in the Middle Ages there were about 3,000. Economic recovery began in the 19th century with the construction of the railway and the start of the timber trade.
In 1939, about 900 armed Nazis tried to take over the city, however, they failed to take it completely.
Historic buildings have survived in the Old Town, including the beautifully decorated late Gothic town hall built in 1486 on the town's main square; the parish church of the Holy Trinity of the 12th century, rebuilt after the fire of 1829, but retaining elements of the Romanesque and Gothic style, the monastery church of the Virgin Mary of the 14th century, the ducal castle, the Tanzenberg castle, etc.
Today St. Veit an der Glan is not only a tourist destination, but also a center for the implementation of innovative ideas. Currently, construction has begun in the city of Austria's largest photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 1,500 kW, which will ensure energy independence through renewable energy sources. The project is estimated at 6, 8 million euros.
