One Day in Graz

It was time to leave Vienna to make our way to Graz. We made a short stop in the town of Mürzzuschlag to see the Kunsthaus Muerz. This art museum is in a former church which a structure built around it. The church is preserved but also modernized a bit. The updated structure was completed in 1991 by architects Konrad Frey and Andreas Ortner while the original church dates to 1657. It was an interesting use of adapting and repurposing while also seeing a unique structuring system.

Kunsthaus Muerz

After a short drive we made it to Graz which is the second largest city in Austria. We got to our hotel and then Hans took us on a walking tour of the city before letting us go to get lunch. We didn't really have time to see anything as we had 90 minutes to eat and be back at the hotel to actually check in to our rooms.

Once we got our rooms, a group of us set out to the Kunsthaus Graz. It is an art museum designed by Peter Cook in 2003 for the European Capital of Culture. It has since been nicknamed the friendly alien although I think it looks like a heart. It is a large building and stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the buildings in the city. The inside is pretty straight forward as museums go. The main draw is the second floor which is double height and the city is reflective of the exterior tower/tubes. It is actually a pretty impressive space.

Kunsthaus Graz

Next, we walked to Murinsel which is a large floating platform in the middle of the Mur River. It was designed by Vito Acconci in 2003. It resembles a sea shell and houses a cafe. The idea is pretty cool as it isn't an island but it is anchored to shore by two walkways on either side.

Murinsel

The last thing we had time for was making the trek up Schlossberg. It is a large hill overlooking the city and contains the remains of the old fortress. Some landmarks at the top are the Uhrturm and Glockenturm. There are also many great views from the top in any direction. It was a beautiful sight.

Looking over Graz from Schlossberg

It was finally time to head down and return to the hotel for dinner. This pretty much concludes our Austria trip and our organized travel for Riva Spring 2016. Tomorrow we make the 7+ hour bus ride back to Riva San Vitale to continue our studies.