"Graz: 2003 European Cultural Capital and... " a Graz Travel Page by dcwizard

I must admit that my first visit to Graz happened almost by accident. I was looking for a place to play golf for a long weekend, and Austria was an obvious choice. But I also wanted to golf in a location with an interesting city or sites nearby, since my friend who traveled with me is not a golfer. When researching golf courses I happened upon the website for the city of Graz, and then learned that it was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003. It became apparent that there were plenty of sites and special cultural events to give us plenty to see and do when I was not on the golf course.

I was so enchanted by Graz during that first visit last June that I decided to go back again last December. I wanted to go back to see the new Kunsthaus that opened in September, and I also discovered that Graz is a wonderful place to enjoy the Advent season before Christmas.

One of the advertisements for the Graz Cultural Year in Vienna read, "Welcome to Vienna, the nicest suburb of Graz." While I wouldn't go that far in my assessment, I would certainly suggest a visit to Graz during a visit to Austria. While the cultural year is over, some of the additions made for the year, such as the Kunsthaus and the Island in the River Mur should continue to play an important role in the city. And the city itself has enough charms to make for a fun weekend at least.