There is something strangely satisfying riding a train, in relative comfort, across a foreign country. And so Stephanie and I find ourselves on a six hour train ride across Austria from Innsbruck to Graz.
Traveling by train has several distinct advantages over flying: train stations are typically in the city center and very easy to get to and from; stores and restaurants there don’t egregiously inflate prices and gouge travelers; arriving hours early is not necessary; there are no security checkpoints (though some stations have luggage scanners); and, your luggage won’t get lost.
As for the train itself, compared to a plane: the seats are much roomier and more comfortable, and you might even get a small table; the aisles are wider; its less crowded and generally quieter (some even have designated quiet zones); and, the views are infinitely better. Time flies much faster on a train versus a plane.
I spent several hours on the train listening to podcasts and working on my laptop, writing up blog posts. Stephanie read a book and worked on videos.
On arrival in Graz it was a 15 minute walk from Graz Hauptbahnhof to our Airbnb in the Gries neighborhood. We are across the Mur River from old town in a largely residential area.
Entering the building’s lobby it is obvious that there is no elevator. Hmm, we are in an attic apartment. How many floors in this building? I guess we should have asked. Fifth floor, 94 steps, no elevator. Good exercise.
Graz has a small, well preserved old town that is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. While there are tourists, Graz does not feel touristy. Of the European cities we’ve visited over the past year, I’d bet it has the lowest percentage of tourists by far.
Domkirche zum Heiligen Ägydius is the main cathedral in Graz. Originally constructed as a Gothic style church in the 15th century, later renovations and changes imposed many Baroque elements.
Next door is the mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, consisting of St. Catherine’s Church and the tomb, which is run by Pfarre Graz-Dom (the Cathedral Parish). Design and construction of the building was commissioned by Emperor Ferdinand II in the early 1600s. The building was actually completed in the year 1636, one year prior to his death.
Like many places in Europe, the ceiling is the most fascinating part of the interior.
The cathedral and mausoleum are free to visit, and a great place to escape the heat for a bit. Both are very peaceful and quiet, with few visitors as they are slightly off the beaten path.
Across the street from the cathedral is the Burg, a complex of regional government office buildings, the oldest of which were built in the 1400s. The tourist draw here is a double-spiral staircase that is about three stories tall.
The staircase leads to a door and a small platform, but since the door is locked the staircase goes nowhere. But if you are at the cathedral, the staircase is interesting enough to spend ten minutes checking it out.
Six of the largest museums in Graz are part of the Universalmuseum Joannuem: Schloss Eggenberg (palace); Landeszeughaus (state armory, the largest preserved arsenal in the world); Joanneumsviertel (science and natural history); Kunsthaus Graz (contemporary art); Graz Musuem (history museum); and, Volkskundemuseum am Paulustor (folklore museum).
An annual Universalmuseum Joanneum pass costs €25 per adult. Anticipating that we would go to at least three of these six museums, it made sense to buy annual passes. The lady selling tickets at Schloss Eggenberg was surprised that two tourists wanted annual museum passes. We reassured her several times that we knew what we were buying.
As other cities in Austria, Graz sells tourist cards (24hr, 48hr, or 72hr) that offer free or discounted admission to many places. While we purchased tourist cards in Innsbruck (our two day itinerary is discussed here and here), we did not do so in Graz. Annual museum passes were a better value for us.
Schloss Eggenberg is out in the suburbs, about a 40 minute walk from our Airbnb. We went on a day when it was relatively cool (high of about 75° F). The walk was not bad as it was mostly shady and went through a nice part of town that we otherwise would not have seen.
The Baroque style palace was built in the early 1600s by the Eggenberg family (business partners and political associates of the ruling Habsburgs). Now owned by the state, the palace is divided into several different museums. It also hosts concerts and other events.
The large outdoor gardens can be visited separately for €2. This was the first time we were asked to pay to get into the gardens before we even got near the palace. The gardens are mostly walking trails, large lawns, and trees. There is a flower garden (the planetengarden), along with a kids’ playground.
Peacocks are seen walking around everywhere, and they sure can make a lot of noise.
In the palace itself are three museums: State Rooms (well preserved 18th century governing rooms); the Alte Galerie (old gallery of paintings from medieval times through the Baroque period); and, the Münzkabinett (coin cabinet, thousands of coins from the 1400s to the present). During our visit there was also a special exhibit of 100 years of Decorations for the Republic of Austria (honorary medals for civilians).
Much to our surprise, the Alte Galerie turned our to be our favorite art museum in Austria, and the State Rooms were equal to, if not better than, those in the Hofburg palaces. The coin collection and medals were likewise surprisingly interesting.
A fourth museum, Archäologiemuseum (Egyptian, Greek, Roman), is located in a separate, modern building adjacent to the flower garden.
Our visit at Schloss Eggenberg lasted about three hours, not including the walks to and from our Airbnb. Notwithstanding the long walk back, we didn’t even bother with a stop at the café to fuel up with coke and sugar first. It is a definite must to visit Schloss Eggenberg if you are ever in Graz.
With several days left in Graz, we still need to put our Universalmuseum Joanneum pass to use.
Garrett and Stephanie
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