Leoben - a city in Styria, in central Austria, located on the river Mur. Its population is about 25,000 people, is a local industrial center. Leoben has a university, founded in 1840, specializes in the mining industry. Leoben is known as the "Gateway to the iron Styria."

The first documented mention of Leoben dated 904 year where this area is called Lupin. In 1261 Leoben has received from the Duke of Styria right to be called a city. Soon Leoben was the mining center of the whole of Styria, survived during the Turkish raids in the 15th century and in the 16th century took an active part in the Reformation. After the expulsion of Protestants from the city in 1665 it was built a Catholic cathedral in honor of the monk St. Francis Xavier Jesuit. Between 1782 and 1859 Leoben was the center of the Catholic episcopate.

Residents of Leoben for centuries engaged in trade in iron. Mountain traditions still play an important role in the life of the city. For example, marked as the Day of the miners, the feast of St. Barbara, held various thematic fairs and exhibitions.

The main attractions of the city include the Baroque Church of St. Francis Xavier of the 17th century, Old Town Hall, the Gothic church of Maria am Vaasa with original stained glass windows, old Benedictine Abbey Hess with frescoes of the 14th century and ranneromanskim crypt church of St. Jacob and the University of Leoben .