Sights in The South
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Minimundus
Down near the Wörthersee, Minimundus has around 140 replicas of some of the world’s architectural icons, downsized to a scale of 1:25. By lying on the ground with a camera, you can later impress your friends at parties with great snaps of the Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe. Building materials are true to the original. The Sydney Opera House, Tower of London, Statue of Liberty and Schloss Neuschwanstein are also here. English guides to the less recognisable models – such as Bad Ischl train station – are on sale for €4. There’s a café and restaurant (normal size) on site.
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Landesmuseum Rudolfinum
If you’ve ever wondered what the fossilised head of an ice-age woolly rhinoceros looked like, a visit to Landesmuseum Rudolfinum will quell your idle speculation. The museum’s Lindwurmschädel (dragon skull) was found in the 14th century and it even became the model for the head of Klagenfurt’s central fountain. This museum also has lots of Celtic armour and jewellery, and the multimedia ‘Glocknerrama’ – an acoustic and visual simulation that leads you to the peak of Austria’s highest mountain.
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Prunkräume
The dominating theme of the 24 Prunkräume in the Schloss Eggenberg is astronomy and mythology. The Planet Hall, which is a riot of white stuccowork and baroque frescoes, is one highlight; the frescoes portray the seven planets (all that were then discovered), the four elements and the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Most rooms are devoted to one theme, including a Chinese room and a games room. Guided tours are conducted in German every hour on the hour, though an English translation is possible (enquire in advance).
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Schlossbergbahn
Rising to 473m, Schlossberg is the site of the original fortress that gave Graz its name. Its wooded slopes can be reached by a number of paths, with the funicular Schlossbergbahn from Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai, or by Glass Lift from Schlossbergplatz. Even Napoleon was hard-pressed to raze this fortress, but raze it he did. The whole area was later landscaped and today an open-air theatre, a great restaurant-bar and a small Garrison Museum are the legacy.
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StrandBad
Swimmers can dip a paw into the Strandbad, Klagenfurt’s lakeside beach with cabins, restaurants and piers for basking. You can plough a circuit 100m offshore for 500m or so along the line of buoys and back. It’s a decent swim of about 1km in warm waters in summer, and uncrowded. Kästchen (lockers large enough for day packs) in the Strandbad cost €1 plus €10 deposit and are located on the extreme right of the complex as you walk in.
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Kunsthaus
Start your walk from the tourist office on Herrengasse and enormous on the bank of the On the bank of the Mur River is the Kunsthaus7. Designed by British architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, this world-class contemporary art space is a bold creation which looks something like a space-age sea slug. Exhibitions change every three to four months, and tours cover not only the exhibitions but also the building.
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Frida & Fred
The creation of FriDa & FreD, Graz’s first museum devoted to children, makes it even better. This small but fun-packed museum is aimed at kids up to the age of 12, and hosts workshops, exhibitions and theatre. Like any good children’s museum, it has loads of hands-on tasks and interactive displays.
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Alte Galerie
The Alte Galerie is the best among the museums housed within the Schloss, with exquisite paintings and sculpture dating from the Romanesque period through to the late baroque. The palace houses three other collections, which can be visited with admission to the Alte Galerie or Schloss itself.
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Burg
Southeast of Schlossberg is the city’s 15th-century Burg, now housing government offices. At the far end of the courtyard, on the left under the arch, is an ingenious double staircase (1499) – the steps diverge and converge as they spiral.
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Schlossberg Cave Railway
The Schlossberg Cave Railway, the longest grotto railway in Europe, is another highlight for the little ’uns. The trip, taking about 20 minutes, winds its way around fairy-tale scenes through tunnels once used as a safe haven from the allied bombings during WWII.
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Bergbaumuseum
The Bergbaumuseum is a pleasant option for a rainy day. Exhibits including tools and drilling equipment are housed in tunnels that lead from the grounds of the botanical gardens deep into the hill. The locals took shelter here from Allied bombing during WWII.
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Wappensaal
The ceiling of the Wappensaal has a trompe l’oeil gallery painted by Carinthian artist Josef Ferdinand Fromiller (1693–1760), and depicting Carinthian landowners paying homage to Charles VI. Stand in the centre of the room for the best effect.
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Stadtpfarrkirche
The stained glass window of the Stadtpfarrkirche, southeast of the Landeszeughaus, is an interesting anomaly: the fourth panel from the bottom on the right (left of the high altar) clearly shows Hitler and Mussolini looking on as Christ is scourged.
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Uhrturm
Perched on the southern edge of Schlossberg is the city's emblem, the Uhrturm. In what must have been a good deal for Europe's modernising midget, the townsfolk paid Napoleon a ransom of 2987 florins and 11 farthings to spare the clock tower during the 1809 invasion.
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Happ’s Reptilienzoo
Lounge lizards can also nip down the road to check out real-life role models at Happ’s Reptilienzoo; there are crocodiles plus all manner of creepers, crawlers and slitherers here for kids and adults to admire. Some signs are in English.
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Botanischer Garten
At the far end of Radetzkystrasse is a rather limp Botanischer Garten. Adjoining the gardens is the Kreuzberglkirche, perched on a hillock with a set of very pretty mosaic stations of the cross on the path leading up to it.
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Rathaus
Hauptplatz, the main square from 1160, is dominated by another Renaissance gem, the Rathaus from 1550. The fountain in the centre is a monument to Johann, with four women at his feet representing Styria's main rivers - the Mur, Enns, Drau and Sann.
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Mausoleum of Ferdinand II
Construction by Italian architect Pietro de Pomis began in 1614, but the mausoleum was completed after Pomis’ death by Pietro Valnegro, while Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach chipped in with the exuberant stuccowork and frescoes inside.
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Schloss Eggenberg
Situated on the western fringes of the city (tram 1), Schloss Eggenberg was created for the Eggenberg dynasty in 1625. This splendid baroque palace was constructed by de Pomis at the request of Johann Ulrich (1568–1634).
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Stadtgalerie
Some excellent rolling art exhibitions are held in the Stadtgalerie, which has a main venue on Theaterstrasse. Those in recent years have included works by Oskar Kokoschka and Californian pop-art maestro Mel Ramos.
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Murinsel
Murinsel is a man-made island-cum-bridge of metal and plastic in the middle of the Mur. This modern floating landmark contains a café, a kids' playground and a small stage. After crossing the island you reach Schlossbergplatz.
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Domkirche
Opposite the Burg is the Domkirche, a late-Gothic church dating from the 15th century that became a cathedral in 1786. The interior combines Gothic and baroque elements, with reticulated vaulting on the ceiling.
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Landhaus
The provincial government headquarters, Landhaus, stands just to the west of Alter Platz. Go through the archway into the cobbled two-storey courtyard to truly admire the building’s two steeples.
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Landeszeughaus
The Landeszeughaus will quite possibly rate as your favourite Austrian museum if you have a passion for armour and weapons. It houses an astounding array of gleaming pieces (more than 30,000 in fact).
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Alpen-Adria-Galerie Im Stadthaus
Some excellent rolling art exhibitions are held in theAlpen-Adria-Galerie im Stadthaus. Those in recent years have included works by Oskar Kokoschka and Californian pop-art maestro Mel Ramos.
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