Saint Florian Church

The Catholic branch church of St Florian stands on the Himmelsberg, the highest point above the village of Straden in the south-eastern corner of Styria. Built in two stages, it crowns a hill once topped by a ruined castle. The first part, the tower and choir, went up in 1644 on the old foundations. The nave was added later, and the whole church was finished in 1668 by the Leibnitz master-builder Ruep Schopper. The altar was completed in 1754 and shows St Florian painted by Valentin J. Metzinger. Inside the church the benefice kept services going through the centuries. The carved pulpit of 1768 is credited to Wenzel Tomitschegg. Two side altars from 1771 are dedicated to St Anne and St Joseph. Above them the organ loft, built in 1775, carries an eleven-stop organ made by Christian Clevo of Radkersburg. The case was richly decorated by the Radkersburg sculptor Johann Lehner. The church sits a short walk from Straden’s main parish church. Its hilltop position gives wide views over the surrounding countryside. The quiet square below the church is lined with lime trees and old farmhouses. Visitors often combine the walk up with a stroll through the village’s wine lanes.