Not to Miss: Graz, Austria

Interrupting the series of posts related to our Amazing Experience traveling around Zakynthos Island by boat, today we @travelingstories will talk about a charming city in Austria… Graz!

Located in the South of the country at around 2-3 hours from Vienna (by car or by train), Graz is the second largest city of Austria and plays a very important role in the academic world, since it has 6 universities.

It is also a very important city to to Slovenes for historical reasons and you can even find some similarities to Ljubljana, a city that we @travelingstories will also cover soon 😊

When in Graz, one cannot simply miss its most iconic landmark… It’s just impossible to do so. Only if you’re only studying the pavement…

This is Die Uhrturm, the clock tower, towering over the city of Graz, on top of Die Schlossberg, the castle hill.

And yes, it is a hill, so… Prepare your climbing equipment!

We remembered counting the stairs up the hill for fun, but don’t exactly remember how many they were. All in all, the hill is 475 meters high, so be sure of a good workout. For those who can’t or who prefer comfort, there’s also a funicular railway.

When you arrive up there, you won’t see the castle, since its walls were demolished, but you’ll see the clock tower, very close to you and a beautiful view over the city…

And over the Alien Frog…

Yes, Alien Frog!

That modern building trying to camouflage amidst the city buildings and their rooftops is Die Kunsthaus, the Art Museum of Graz, built around the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003.

It’s an impressive architectural building and, like every other, has caused some mixed feelings in both locals and tourists… You’re not expecting modern buildings full of glass and round curves in the middle of a medieval-like city. But, well, it’s there and it’s quite beautiful!

Continuing our journey, after climbing to the top of the hill, it’s time to come back down. You can follow another way through the park on the back and calmly walk back to the city center, through its charming streets.

Also, when in Graz, it’s mandatory to cross the river and to wonder the strength of its water stream, coming from the Alps 😊

Oh! And… Beware of the Alien Frog! It can show up at every corner! 😊

Hope you enjoyed the post and come back for more @travelingstories, after upvoting it, reesteeming it and follow our blog! 😊