Graz

Known as European Capital of Culture, Graz is also the capital of the Styria region. It is also referred as the “crown jewel of Europe.” Graz is a stunning tourist center and the second largest city in Austria which is situated about 120 kilometers south of Vienna. The city is a hub of history, art and culture in Austria. There are prolific sightseeing places, buildings and museums in Graz, which travelers to Graz can easily get pleasure from.

The Schlossberg is a castle standing on a rock ledge for more than 1,000 years ago which gave the city its name. Graz derived from the word Gradec which means ‘little castle.’ Later this little castle was made a huge fortress. Napoleon destroyed the castle in 1809. But two of the friendly landmark of the city, the Bell Tower and the Clock Tower remained.

Since 1712, the clockworks in the Clock Tower have struck the hours accurately. You could be forgetting time while standing at the romantic landmark of Graz. The shape of this fortified medieval tower was structured around 1560. Three coats of arms decorate the walls and three bells are ringing from the Clock Tower which is usually enjoyed by people who often come here in pairs.

Kunsthaus Graz has an incredible celestial in the World Heritage site of Graz. It is positioned like a giant bluish bubble the landmark of new Graz which is poised above the right bank of Mur River. Kunsthaus is tenderly named ‘a friendly alien’ by its creators, Peter Cook and Colin Fournier since October 2003. It has fascinated people with fabulous architecture and altering display of modern art. Furthermore, Kunsthaus Graz is a sign of the balanced co-existence of old and new in the city.

What was meant to be a temporary project of the Cultural Capital of Europe, Graz 2003, has turned into an attraction - the island in the river Mur . The New York artist Vito Acconci designed a steel grid structure in the shape of a half-opened shell. The island also functions as a bridge between the two banks of the river Mur.

Incredible 32,000 historical arms and military equipment on five floors. The Landeszeughaus (Provincial Armoury) in Herrengasse is reputed to be the most outstanding historical weapons collection in the world. On the ground floor - an exhibition explaining the historical background. And above it, an impressive arsenal of rifles, armours, staff and bladed weapons dating mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries. And all that in the original building which was erected in the middle of the 17th century to serve as an armoury for the Styrian estates. Especially in their fight against the Ottoman Turks.

It is the second largest opera house in Austria and a springboard for music careers. It was named "Opera House of the Year" in 2001 which was the remarkable attributes for the theater on the ring road. It was put up by the architects Fellner and Helmer in 1899. An interesting contrast to the neo-Baroque structure is the steel sculpture "light sword" by Hartmut Skerbisch (1992). The Opera House is a symbol of liberalism and broadmindedness in the Human Rights City of Graz.

Green domes, golden caps, monumental statues above the façade - the ensemble of Mausoleum and St. Catherine's Church bears witness to imperial greatness. After all, it is the final resting place of an emperor. It was Emperor Ferdinand II who - still prince of Inner Austria and residing in Graz then - erected the most important Hapsburg tomb, in terms of art. Giovanni Pietro de Pomis, Ferdinand's Italian court painter, was entrusted with the planning. The often praised Italian atmosphere of Graz especially manifests itself in the architecture of the Mausoleum.

The centuries have left their traces on the residence of the Habsburgs in Graz , erected in 1438 and now seat of the governor of Styria. Some wings have been added, others destroyed. But there are still many impressive testimonies of the past. From the Biedermeier period back to the Renaissance and Gothic eras. From the latter period the famous double-spiral staircase remains.