Schloss Eggenberg

In the morning I tour Schloss Eggenberg. The state rooms are only accessed by guided tour so I sign up for the early tour. Eggenberg palace is another UNESCO protected building. It is a representation of baroque architecture. Schloss Eggenberg was created for the prominent Eggenberg family (yes the same one that had a presence in Bohemia – specifically Cesky Krumlov). The rooms are impressive but it is another in a long line of palaces that allow no photography so I have no photos to share. Many of the rooms were barely used over the years and it was a very large palace for the time when it was built. Regulations existed about having palaces with more rooms than what the current royals had so some rooms were not in use as a compromise. Also it was built with lots of math and astrology in mind: Hans Ulrich had items of the Gregorian calendar incorporated in the design (ie 365, 52, 31, 24, 7). Impressive because this was a time when the Gregorian calendar was not yet widely adopted.

We can take pictures in the gallery museum though. There is lots of religious themed art. I find Corpse of Saint Florian Guarded by an Eagle quite interesting.

There is also a large coin collection.

I stop at the Frankowitsch – Brötchenbar – Delikatessen to try their open face sandwiches for lunch. They are good. I love the spread on the sandwich Pumpkin seed oil. I also order a lox one because I love salmon.

After lunch I take the train up to Schlossberg the tall mountain area that overhangs into the town. I enjoy some great views from up there. I slowly walk down from level to level and finally get to those intimidating stairs. I am sweating just going down so I am not sure I would really enjoy going up this time of year but lots of other people are doing it.

Walking back to my hotel I decide to stop at a cocktail bar and try a couple drinks. Afterwards I walk around and finally get a night view of the city before I go back to pack. I head to Vienna tomorrow. Good night.

Graz museum day

I visit the Kunsthaus Graz (Graz modern museum) because I love some weird art. The main exhibit is a series of artwork from artists from the former Yugoslavia – a region I visited earlier. I see the artwork from the artist that does the running through Zagreb nude (I love you Zagreb) and I see some interesting penis related artwork (Gelatin by Golem is one example, photos of naked guys in nature backdrops is another). The art explores many different ideas and pushes boundaries. One movie shows hostile architecture in the ways cities develop spaces that seem to prevent sitting. In the movie people sit in these hostile spaces and later show their bare bottom with the associated indentations. In addition the museum has a great view of the city.

I also walk through the art space called Murinsel, an island in the Mur river that hosts a cafe and an art space. They play movies and have live music perform there.

I also walk along the water.

I notice a long path up the hill to a park with scenic views but it is not in the plans today. Instead I happen upon a tunnel next door that was built as a war shelter. It leads up to a lower part of the park. I use this time opportunity to grab lunch. Sushi is on the menu today. There is a photographer taking photos of all the menu items for I am assuming website photos and such. They offer the few of us dining all the plates when they are done with the photos. Unfortunately this happens after I’ve already stuffed myself. I could have walked out with a much cheaper meal if I would have just been slower to order.

After lunch I walk by an interesting double staircase.

I walk by the mausoleum dedicated to Emperor Ferdinand II next door. It looks impressive but I decide to wait til later to go inside which proves to be a bad decision because I never catch the opening times again during my visit to the city.

It is three o’clock so I am in time to see the historic Glockenspiel dance. In this clock there are two dancers, a woman and man, who dance to the different chimes.

Earlier when I was rushing to the clock I noticed a weird white building in the distance. This building seemingly made of white cubes is called Argos designed by Zaha Hadid.

Tonight I have dinner reservations to try the famous Graz fried chicken (Backhendl, or Styria Fried chicken). It is quite good and pairs nicely with their salad that contains pumpkin seed oil (yum) and the famous Styria beans the size of a thumb.

When I finish dinner it is raining so I run back to my hotel for the evening. Little do I know that this rain will cool things off nicely. While most of Europe has a heat wave I am feeling quite nice the next couple days.

Next location- Graz, Austria

I am going to be honest when I put Graz, Austria on the itinerary I knew very little about the city. I had it on a list of places to visit in Austria for a ten day itinerary and it somehow made the cut even though Hallstat and Innsbruck did not. At first I am a little disappointed that I didn’t pick a mountain surrounded town but after spending time here I am glad I added to the itinerary.

Train ride here from Salzburg is absolutely beautiful. I see beautiful Bavarian mountains with clouds above them covering the peaks along with wooden houses and cute towns. It is easy to get from the train station to my hotel. Graz has got to be the public transportation model for many cities. There are trams going everywhere, running frequently. I am impressed.

I get lucky once again that my room is ready when I arrive. This time I am in a single (twin) with a view of nothing but it is clean and I have AC. Plus I have breakfast included again, even if its more of the same. At least I don’t have to be going out tracking down coffee and croissants every morning ( can I just say how much I miss a home cooked breakfast!).

My first plan is to book dinner at a recommended restaurant nearby called Landhauskeller. Before my reservation I tour the courtyard of the Grazer Landhaus, an old renaissance palace. The food isn’t terrible at Landhauskeller but I am not impressed until I get to the dessert – a pumpkin oil vanilla ice cream and candied pumpkin seeds on pancakes. It is the delicious combination I didn’t know I wanted.