A city on everybody’s taste
Filed Under Austria
Situated on the river Mur, Graz is the second largest city in Austria, after Vienna. It is famous mainly for it’s university life, having a long tradition as a student city.
The Old Town in Graz was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List because here architecture of various times and styles co-exist.
What you can see in Graz is the hill Schloßberg with a great panorama of the entire Graz. You can get there on Schloßbergbahn which is a funicular railway. On the top of this hill there is the Uhrturm, a symbol of Graz. The Dom of Graz is a rare Gothic monument which you will be happy to photograph.
Graz has also a lot of museums and galleries: Neue Galerie with art from the 19th and 20th century, Camera Austria – museum of contemporary photography, Volkskundemuseum – museum of folklore, Kriminalmuseum – criminalogy museum and many more.
Each winter, near the Franciscan church stalls are set up for people who are selling regional farm products, mulled wine, hot punch, and Styrian crafts and other arts. Close to the Christmas market, which is set up in front of Graz’s City Hall, is a giant Christmas tree, as well as an old fashioned merry-go-round. On the face of the City Hall building is also the big advent calendar.
Combine your shopping for the holidays with supporting a good cause and enjoying good entertainment. Eiserne Tor, which is a market run exclusively by charity organizations of the local area, is a great place to accomplish this. All of the proceeds from this market are given to charity projects. Another thing that visitors or locals will not want to miss is the Landhaushof monumental ice sculpture that depicts the nativity scene. This magical manger is made with nearly 50 tons of ice and is sure to blow everyone away this year.
Other Christmas markets in Graz include:
• Hauptplatz Christmas market, which is located at the main square close to the Town Hall.
• Tummelplatz Christmas market, which offers colorful glass art, wax works, silver, and pottery.
• Glockenspiel Platz Christmas market, which offers silver, felt handicrafts, and pottery for sell.
• Färberplatz Christmas market, which sells crafts and arts.
