A Sightseeing Day in Graz

When I checked into the hotel, the woman at the desk gave me a tourist brochure for Graz. In it, there

Farmers' Market, Graz

were several suggested walking tours with the principal landmarks. My plan was to follow the historical one, but I had another destination to visit first – the farmers’ market. Whenever I visit a new place, I always check to see whether there is a market or food hall. I find them to be exceedingly interesting, not just because I like to see what kind of fruits and vegetables are available, but also because they tend to show one what the local community is like. From what I had learned, the farmers’ market in Graz sounded like a great one, especially today, which was Saturday.

Some non-food items

The market is held in a square just outside the historical center of the city. At 10:00 A.M., the market was in full swing. There were what appeared to be semi-permanent structures along the perimeter of the square, while the center was lined with temporary booths and tables. All the usual products were on display: fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese and baked goods. In addition, since it was close to Advent, there were quite a few vendors selling decorative items. The wreaths in particular were beautiful. Unlike markets in the US, growers here were also selling wine and schnapps. I bought a bottle of pear schnapps to give to Martin for his namesday. I was intrigued by the many different varieties of apples. I had a nice chat with one vendor about that. I had stopped to ask her about a variety called “Delbar”, which caught my attention for obvious reasons. As is often the case with people in these markets, she had a wealth of information about her produce. As much as I was enjoying the market, I knew I had to get moving if I wanted to see the city.

In the courtyard

Fortunately, the market was not far from one end of the main street where many of the buildings were located. The first stop was the “Landeshaus”, the seat of the provincial government. The inner courtyard was said to be very beautiful. I turned off the street and into the passageway that opened onto the courtyard. To my great delight, something was going on, which involved people in costumes and a band. This could only be a good thing in my book. I joined the other spectators and began snapping pictures. Try as I might, I could not understand what was being said (The Styrian accent is fairly strong). 

On the Hauptplatz

At some point, the whole assembly picked up and marched out onto the main street. I stayed behind to admire the architecture. I caught up with the costumed folks in the main square, where they were deployed facing the town hall. There was an exchange going on between the people on the ground and others who were deployed on a balcony over the main entrance. Then it dawned on me what was probably happening. In the German-speaking world, the season of Karneval or Fasching begins on November 11 at precisely 11:11 a.m. That would be tomorrow, Sunday. Perhaps because it was Sunday, they were anticipating the start with these festivities. At this point, people began dancing on the square encouraged by the man who was acting as MC. This ended with couples waltzing on the square. Very Austrian. My suspicion about what was happening was confirmed, when, at 11:11 a.m., a cannon shot reverberated around the square, only to be answered by a volley of musket fire. There was great applause and the mayor said a few words. Then it was all over.

Graz Cathedral

I continued my self-guided tour. The route took me back to the street where I had first walked yesterday afternoon. There were a few interesting things along the way, but the major site was the cathedral. It sits at the top of a hill. From the outside, the cathedral does not seem that impressive. A late Gothic building, it would have been heavily painted when it was new. The interior, though, is a fine blending of Gothic architecture with Baroque overlay. During my visit, a choir and small orchestra were rehearsing a modern choral work. I sat for a few minutes to listen to the music in this imposing space. These are moments that cannot be scheduled. Adjacent to the cathedral is the mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II. It is a beautiful Baroque building, which seemed to me out of place in this context. I decided not to pay the entry fee. From there I walked through one of the old city gates into one of the city’s major parks, the Stadtpark. It was a gray autumnal day and there was not much activity. I strolled for a bit and then made my way back for a few more sights. One of them was the city parish church. This building, too, has seen a lot of modifications over the century. One of the more interesting additions is a stained glass window behind the main altar. The original windows were destroyed by a bomb blast near the end of WWII. In a window that depicts the torture of Christ, you can make out two familiar faces among the crowd jeering Jesus – Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

The Murinsel

I headed back to the hotel now. After my close call the night before, I wanted to make sure I had a reservation for tonight. I had two places in mind. I asked the desk clerk to call for me, but both said they had no availability. Oh well. I went to my room to drop off the bottle of schnapps I had been carrying around. While I was there, there were a few breaks in the clouds and the sun came out. I was going across the river to explore the “newer” part of Graz. I walked across the river on a foot bridge that crosses the river via the “Murinsel” a modern glass and steel structure in the middle of the river.  I walked through the quarter near the Lendlplatz, the site of another farmers’ market. It was over by now, but the various food stalls were doing a brisk business. The sun was now out and shining brightly, so I sat outside and had a quick sandwich and a beer. 

The view from the Schlossberg

On my way back to the hotel, I stopped in a cheese shop to buy some Styrian cheese to bring to Martin as a namesday gift.  Since the sun was finally out, I had to take the “Bergbahn” (funicular) up to the top of the Schlossberg to get the famous view “over the roofs of Graz.” The glass-roofed cars make a 60º climb up the side of the mountain. It is an impressive ride. Once on top, the views are indeed spectacular. After taking in the view, I started the descent on foot, stopping at the clock tower, the unofficial symbol of the city of Graz. When I reached the bottom, I stopped in a little Sicilian restaurant near my hotel and made a reservation for dinner. At least I knew that I would have somewhere to eat.

The Clock Tower

I went back to the hotel and put my feet up for a while. I had covered a lot of territory today. I took a quick shower and changed before heading out again. I was going to Mass at 6:15 and then on to dinner. The evening passed quickly. I turned on the TV when I returned to my room and watched the end of a documentary about Germany at the end of WWI.  It focused on the end of the monarchy and the foundation of the Weimar Republic. November 11 was the 100^th anniversary of the end of hostilities and there were lots of programs to mark the event. I barely managed to stay awake until the end.

 Sunday was a quiet day. I had breakfast in the hotel and then walked along the river a bit. I returned to Vienna in mid-afternoon. That evening I met Martin, Barbara and Valentina for dinner in one of their favorite little Italian places. It was fun and the pizza was quite good.