K & L's Travel Blog

“Bella Grazia!” That was a tourist campaign slogan when we were last in Graz in 1985. That year we spent 4 months traveling, got a 3 month Eurail pass and fulfilled credit for a German class at UNC Asheville following my professor Henry Stern’s wonderful itinerary through Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We always wanted to return to Graz as it was one of the most relaxed and lovely cities we’d ever been to.

I don’t suppose we would have visited Graz without Dr. Stern’s recommendation. Those sites and experiences were often as colored with romantic resonance as historical significance. We did our best to follow to every detail, and amused ourselves speculating what experiences he had known as a young man to inspire his selections.

In Graz, Henry had us renting a rowboat on a small lake, but it was November and the weather was near freezing that day, so all the boats were stowed. We did attend an operetta there on his recommendation: “Wiener Blut” for a pittance (about $1.50 for standing room). I didn’t anticipate the effect this experience would have on Kitty, who after two+ hours of standing in a small caged space watching bedroom intrigue and waltzing was about as distraught as I’ve ever seen here in 40 years together. “That was awful, awful, awful!!!” she cried. She wept. Luckily there was an open Würstel stand nearby and I was able to restore her with a hotdog and beer.

Our other experiences in Graz and Styria proved more pleasant and included a hike to Mariatrost Basilica and surrounding mountain trails and slow evening walks around the bell tower. The town has the complicated history shared by the region, but that complexityThanks makes it feel as Italian as it does Austrian. It’s a university town as well, which for us means affordable food options and a familiar vibe. I’m intrigued by the prospect of a “weed vending machine” and our apartment’s proximity to the farmer’s market.