After being alerted in the 19th century by the Graz physician Dr. Werlé that the Gleichenberg springs had healing properties, the Styrian governor, Count Mathias Constantin Capello Graf von Wickenburg, systematically set about developing the place to allow visitors to use the springs for medicinal purposes. In the resort's first ''season'' in 1837, more than 118 guests came to relax in the spa. Bad Gleichenberg quickly became one of the monarchy's most luxurious resorts. Here the European aristocracy and prominent personalities took lodging in the noble hotels that soon sprang up. Sumptuous accommodations, soothing treatments and entertainment at daily concerts made for a most enjoyable stay. In the "Green Salon", the 20-hectare spa park, Countess Emma von Wickenburg planted numerous exotic trees and shrubs. Even today, guests from near and far enjoy the historic biodiversity of the "green lung" of a remodeled Bad Gleichenberg, which since 2015 also can boast of a completely rennovated main square. The health resort's medical facilities are among the most modern in Austria. Ailments of the respiratory tract and the skin in particular can be alleviated through treatments using the local healing springwater, so the springs are just as important in attracting guests to Bad Gleichenberg as they were almost two centuries ago.
