M

ost Indonesian visitors to Austria may have been to or know more about Vienna and Salzburg. The country's largest tourist attraction, indeed, has long been the Alps, where people go to ski in the winter, while many tourists flock to Salzburg in the summer.

There's another attraction to see when visiting the country: Graz, the capital of the Styria (Steiermark) region, which offers impressive buildings, both of historical architecture and modern, contemporary structural designs, illustrating that the city is a crossroad of cultures.

I'd have never gone to Graz if Peter Zilahy was not staying in the city and had invited me to stay at his place. Unfortunately, Zilahy, the Hungarian performer and author of dictionary-novel The Last Window Giraffe, left for New York for a show titled Crack Up: Stories about Comedies and Calamities, a couple of mornings after I arrived. I therefore had to explore Graz by myself.

Hotels, caf*s and shopping in Graz are all about the same; it is Western European standard. But what I like as an individual traveler is that I can learn things a professional tour guide would not normally divulge. As I met a local journalist and an active member of a political party in the country, I had the opportunity to experience major events during my stay in Graz that provided me with diversified angles about the city, tourism-wise of course.

The good thing I found about Graz is that it's not that big, and, for me, a day trip is fine to explore most of the major attractions. The Graz Tourist Information Office publishes a very good pocket book providing a guide that enables visitors to leisurely explore both historic and modern Graz, depending on how much time one has when visiting the city. Such a pocket book is surely prepared for individual travelers like myself as those in groups would have professional guides to take them to all the interesting places.

As an individual, single traveler to this second largest city in Austria (after Vienna), I also found it both friendly in terms of size (it's approximately only 128 square kilometers with a population of about 280,000 - 40,000 of them students), and puzzling in terms of finding particular places as there are so many alleys and squares (courtyards that sometimes hide the real sites) that look almost the same to me.

However, the major attractions can be easily found. The icon of the city is the Uhrturm or Clock Tower, located on the top of Grazer Schlossberg hill, which is also the site of fortress ruins; the Hauptplatz or City Hall, the artificial island of Murinsel in the Mur River and the trendy Kunsthaus (Arts Center/Museum).

Grazer Schlossberg hill and its eye-catching fortress indeed dominate Graz and provide a scenic backdrop to many views, being next to the Mur River. The Clock Tower, which has struck the hour precisely since 1712, is unfortunately presently under renovation and so I am unable to see the famous back-to-front hands of the clock. However, with it being on the hill that is located in the very city center, it is astonishing as it provides a scenic backdrop to many views. No wonder there's always crowds of tourists there, either relaxing in the beautiful garden or catching a bite at the cafes and restaurants there.

The interesting thing on the hill is the 260 steps to the very top of the Schlossberg. I chose to use the stairs, but I was not feeling that energetic the second time I went there to take more pictures and preferred to pay 60 cent euro to use the elevator. There is also a funicular railway (Schlossbergbahn) to reach the top.

The important part of the Altstadt or Old Town of Graz is the Hauptplatz (built in 1878), which appears like a hub linking the major streets, such as the city's main thoroughfare, the Herrengasse, which ultimately connects the Jakominiplaz, an important transportation hub.

The other major part of Altstadt is the Graz Cathedral, which was constructed in the 15th century, the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II (next to the Cathedral), Hauptplatz, and the Landeszeughaus Armory, which has an enormous collection of weaponry and artifacts. Meanwhile, Kunsthaus and Murinsel (both built in 2003) are examples of modern, brave, impressive and funky structures. The shape of Kunsthaus resembles a mix between an alien and a frog, but to some people it resembles bubbles as it is located by the river. Murinsel is a construction of steel in the Mur River, built for the event of Graz being the cultural capital in the year 2003, and developed as an attraction and popular sight of Graz. Murinsel or Mur Island was created by New York artist Vito Acconci.

The open part of the construction can also be used as a resting place to bask in the sun. The closed part of the island is a trendy bar and coffee house. It's also possible to cross the Mur River from one shore to the other as the construction also functions as a bridge.