Murau is a small Upper Styrian town on the Mur river, reached by the Murtalbahn narrow-gauge railway from the Graz-Klagenfurt mainline at Unzmarkt. The 66-kilometer line is one of Austria's heritage railway experiences, with steam excursions running on selected summer weekends. The town's brewery, Brauerei Murau, has been operating in the valley since 1495 and remains a genuine regional institution with a visitor tap room. In winter, the Kreischberg ski resort above Murau offers cross-country and alpine skiing terrain that is less crowded and more affordable than the better-known Salzburg and Carinthian ski areas. For hikers, the Niedere Tauern mountains provide good summer routes with the valley town as a practical base. Murau feels genuinely off-circuit, which is the main reason to go.