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Venue | Arrival | Accommodation | Graz Info | Sightseeingwalk through Graz
VenueThe European Solid Mechanics Conference will take place at the
The conference venue is located in the historic city center of Graz, a UNESCO listed World Cultural Heritage site, and is at an easy walking distance from hotels, student accommodation, restaurants and sites of cultural interest. The city center is only a 20-25 minute taxi ride from the airport, and 10 minutes from the train station by tram or taxi.
ArrivalArrival by AirPublic buses bring you from Graz Airport to the city centre of Graz (Jakominiplatz). The bus stop is outside the passenger terminal, right next to the arrival area. The price for a one-hour-ticket is € 1.90 and is available from the bus driver. For more information about public transport and tickets see: Graz Transportation Service A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs about € 20.00-25.00 and takes 20-25 minutes. Airport: www.flughafen-graz.at
Arrival by TrainFrom the main railway station take a taxi or a tram (line 3 or 6, tram stop "Hauptplatz") to the Conference venue, which takes about 10 minutes. Railway: www.oebb.at
Arrival by CarTo be announced
AccommodationImportant Note: The below hotels are fully booked. For further hotel accommodation please follow the link: www.hotel.graz.at
Special rates for conference participants (all rates in Euro per room and per night including breakfast and all taxes):
Under the motto „a place to sleep for clever people“, the Accor hotel group has opened its first Etap 2-star hotel in Graz. The hotel offers a fresh, friendly and simple hotel concept at exceptionally low prices. Double rooms with bunk bed, air condition, shower, seperate WC and Sat-TV with alarm. WLAN in many rooms (chargeable)
The Hotel Feichtinger is situated in the heart of Graz, on the Lendplatz only 5 minutes walk from the city centre. Inaugurated in July 2003, the hotel has 33 rooms, all with shower, WC, telephone and sat-TV, and a cosy hotel-bar serving drinks and snacks. The rooms on the second and third floors offer a great view of the city’s landmarks, the Schlossberg with the clock tower. Some parking space available for directly by the hotel. Public underground garage (Mariahilf-Tiefgarage) 80 m from the hotel. WLAN in all rooms (free of charge)
Trendsetting new hotel with striking architecture, centrally located next door to the main train station and only a couple of minutes from the Old Town. The hotel has 108 fully air conditioned rooms and a bar serving drinks and snacks around the clock. Parking at reduced prices in the public underground parking. WLAN in the lobby and in all rooms (chargeable)
BEST WESTERN HOTEL DREI RABEN ***
Family-feel three-star-hotel with 100 beds in a central location with good traffic links, situated near the main station and the city centre. A tram stop is next to the hotel. All rooms are equipped with modern comforts, the restaurant has a terrace. Car park and coach park can be found next to the hotel. WLAN in all rooms (free of charge)
HOTEL DANIEL – MEMBER OF DESIGN HOTELS
Cool designs. Everything is easy. The hotel Daniel next to the central station in Graz is a trendy and reasonably priced location. You check-in at the espresso bar, where the staff takes care of you 24/7. Free internet can be accessed everywhere in the hotel. To explore the city rent from us a Vespa for 15 euros, the original Piaggio Ape Calessino or a Fiat 500. The Daniel is a place where anything is possible, a place where you can be your very relaxed self. WLAN in the lobby, high speed internet access in all rooms (free of charge)
If you like cool locations, then the Weitzer is the right hotel for you. It is a new modern hotel with exceptional facilities. Some of the classy rooms come with a balcony and an amazing view of the Schlossberg. It is very central – a 5 minutes walk to the main square. The Styrian food is excellent, and the bay-coloured Mercedes SL you can rent reminds of chocolate. WLAN or high speed internet access in all rooms and in the lobby (free of charge)
The Hotel Mercure Graz is centrally located within a quiet environment. The fair, congress & event centre of Graz, the Stadthalle, the Technical University and the Graz Opera/Old Town are within 15 - 20 minutes walking distance. Additional facilities: restaurant, bar, non smoking floors, suites and rooms for physically challenged persons, own parking garage. WLAN in the lobby and in all rooms (free of charge)
The new Wiesler in Graz confirms one thing: a hotel is not simply a hotel. The art nouveaux mosaic "Spring" by Leopold Forstner covers the whole wall of the exquisite Salon Frühling and can be admired while having breakfast. Right across the Salon Frühling there is the Speisesaal, a cool restaurant that serves hearty food from the grill and other classic meals. One can relax or enjoy a quality work-out with the new sauna, steam room and exercise facilities. To sum it up one could confidently say that this hotel is of quite a different nature, perfect for special guests. WLAN in the lobby and high speed internet access in all rooms (free of charge)
At the heart of Graz, just a few minutes walk from all major cultural sights, entertainment facilities, you will find the friendly, family-run Hotel Gollner. The amenities of the hotel include a car park and underground garage. WLAN in the lobby and in all rooms (free of charge)
AUSTRIA TREND HOTEL EUROPA GRAZ ****
The Hotel Europa combines the modern comforts of an international city hotel with proverbial Austrian hospitality. Just a few steps from the main station, the "Europa" offers 114 comfortable rooms and modern conference facilities. The hotel has a coach park and an underground car park. WLAN in the lobby and in all rooms (free of charge)
The new Mercure Graz City is located in the centre of Graz, a few steps away from the must-sees of the city. It has 96 comfortable, air-conditioned rooms. A business corner with internet access, non-smoking floors and underground parking garage are at the guests’ disposal. WLAN in the lobby and in all rooms (free of charge)
PALAIS-HOTEL ERZHERZOG JOHANN ****
The Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann is located in the heart of the Old Town. Rich in tradition, this baroque palace has served as a hotel since 1852. The centre of the house is the glass-roofed winter garden which houses the restaurant. All 62 rooms and suites are tastefully and generously furnished, most of them with antique pieces and genuine carpets. LAN in all rooms (free of charge)
Graz Infowebsite Graz Tourism
Sightseeing walk through GrazThe walk starts at the Rathaus (Town Hall) is located on the south edge of the Hauptplatz (main square) with its numerous market stalls. The place, on which merchants have been selling their goods for centuries, was chosen as a site for the Town Hall in 1550. Today's building origins from 1894 and replaces the smaller classicist town hall. Besides its distinctive cupola-scape, the town hall displays richly structured details on the façades. If you look at the left side of the city hall's entrance, you cannot overlook a Secco painting. This picture shows the history of the city hall in the various epochs. Above the entrance lies the municipal council hall, where the municipal council holds its meetings. The town hall is not only home to the mayor, the city government and the community representatives, it is a registry office as well – so on Saturdays you might come across illustrious wedding parties.
On the east side of the Hauptplatz, there are the splendid two Luegg houses (Hauptplatz 11 and 12), with their plentiful stucco front built around 1660/70. It is the earliest façade in Graz, which is covered with purely ornamental stucco. The stucco plasterers of the 17th century mainly came from Mesocco valley in Grisons, Switzerland – such as the stucco plasterer of the house at Hauptplatz 11, Antonio Teruggio.
Walking through the Murgasse and over the Hauptbrücke (main bridge) to the right riverbank you will reach the Kunsthaus (Art House). The location of the Kunsthaus had long been a matter of discussion (according to good old traditions, the municipality of Graz even carried out a public referendum) until the "friendly alien" found its final destination behind the façade of the Eisernes Haus (Iron House). The façade is listed as a historical monument. The Eisernes Haus is one of the earliest cast-iron constructions in Europe (1848).
From this location you have a nice view to the Schlossberg, which is a Dolomite rock that rises 123 m above the level of Hauptplatz. The Schlossberg came into possession of the town in 1885. For easy access the Schlossberg funicular was built in 1894 and from 1914 to 1918 the path called Felsensteig was erected with the help of Russian prisoners of war. On the Schlossberg you see the landmark of the town of Graz, the Uhrturm (clock tower). The hands of the clock are reversed. Originally there was only one hand, the big one, which could be clearly seen even from a distance. It showed the hour, and the little hand was applied later. The clockwork mechanism as it is today has struck the hour since 1712. The tower was built from 1559/69 onwards using a fortified medieval tower that was already there. On the Uhrturm there are three bells: one is the oldest in Graz (cast in 1382), a fire bell (1645) and a bell called "Armesünderglocke" (around 1450). When this bell was rung it either indicated an execution or the closing of the city gates, and later, the closing time of inns and pubs.
When you look down to the river Mur you see the Murinsel (Island in the Mur), which was designed by New York architect and artist Vito Acconci: a new fruit growing out of the cultural axis. Go upstream a bit and follow the ramp onto the half open floating shell. The open part of the shell serves as an amphitheatre with room for up to 300 people to enjoy stage performances. When you walk over the Hauptbrücke (main bridge) you will be in front of the Franziskanerkloster (Franciscan Monastry), which is the oldest existing settlement of an order on Graz town grounds. The monastery is the only one in Austria still continuing to accommodate brothers in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi. It was founded in 1239 by two Minorites (also called Friars Minor) and has been a Franziskanerkloster since 1515. The Baroque bulb-shaped bell tower (finished in 1643), and the small shops dominate the exterior of the Franziskanerkirche (Franciscan Church), which is one of the parish churches of Graz today. Behind the church you see the cloisters, with its tombs dating to the 15th century, and a 14th century chapel where the now 10 resident monks pray. The striking angular position of the church is due to the flow of a former subsidary branch of the river Mur that once ran here.
After a few minutes walk you will arrive at the Landhaus, which is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Styria. In 1494 the Styrian diet stopped holding "mobile" sessions and set up an office in a former town residence in Herrengasse. House after house was purchased so that between 1527/31 Italian architects were able to begin construction on the first Renaissance building of the city at the corner of Schmiedgasse/Landhausgasse. The wing of the Landhaus facing Herrengasse, with its early Renaissance arcade windows and the bell tower, is based on plans made by architect Domenico dell'-Aglio starting in 1557. Dell'Aglio came from Scaria in Northern Italy. He was the person mainly responsible for the building of the fortresses in Inner Austria. On your way into the most impressive inner courtyard have a look at the "Runortafel", a special panel on the right of the entrance. According to a decree issued by Archduke Karl II in 1588, it was forbidden to move around, to wield daggers or bread knives, or to scuffle and fight; breaking this law resulted in severe punishment. In the last quarter of the 19th century, the building complex finally received the appearance it displays today. The Landhaus courtyard is one of Austria's most important Renaissance arcade courtyards. The narrow building of the Landhaus is the Zeughaus (Provincial Armoury), which was built from 1644 onwards by Antonio Solar. The façade flaunts the portal with the Styrian provincial coat of arms and the coat of arms of the five members of parliament, flanked by the two niche figures of Mars, the god of war, and Minerva, the goddess of judicious war, wisdom, art and handicraft. The fire-expelling Styrian panther and the fireballs that form the crown of the portal testify to the great power of the building. Today the Zeughaus is one of the few armouries preserved in Europe and the only one that has stored its waepon collection here at this place over the centuries. It hosts 29.000 pieces, a small portion of the 185.700 pieces that were stored there in 1699.
Landhaus and Zeughaus are facing the Herrengasse, which is the most prestigious street in the city centre of Graz. In the Middle Ages it was only a dead-end street between today's Landhausgasse and Jungferngasse, where the jewish ghetto began. Today the houses on your way through Herrengasse towards Hauptplatz have some stories to tell. The two monumental houses (one is number 28, the other spans numbers 22 to 26) were built by the busy theatre architects Helmer and Fellner (the architects of the opera house in Graz) in the 1880s. The patron was the Viennese company Thonet, which produced beech furniture. The composer Franz Schubert looks down from a commemorative plaque at the balcony of number 28 (close to the house with number 26). In September 1827, in the previously-existing building Schubert was once the guest of the pianist and advocate's wife, Marie Pachler. At that time her house was an important cultural centre in the city of Graz. In April 1797 Napoleon Bonaparte spent several nights at Herrengasse 13.
Towards Hauptplatz a building on the same side of the street, at Herrengasse 3, will immediately catch your eye the so-called Gemaltes Haus (Painted House). It has the only preserved fresco façade of this kind in Austria showing portrays of the Gods and heroes of Greek and Roman mythology. The paintings, which were done 1742 by the Styrian artist Johann Mayer, were restored three times in the 20th century, as they were already extremely weather-beaten, but their meaning had fallen into oblivion. The figures were deciphered only a few years ago. The building is also called Herzogshof. Before the Habsburg dynasty established their own residence in Graz in the middle of the 15th century, they carried out their official buisness as sovereigns of Styria in the Herzogshof. The property manager's task was to set up the "sovereign's chair", and was thus released from paying taxes.
Through small passages you will reach the so-called Bermudadreieck (Bermuda Triangle) with its numerous pubs and restaurants on the squares of Glockenspielplatz, Mehlplatz and Färberplatz. The name Bermudadreieck comes from the fact that many have gone missing especially on mild summer evenings when the lure of the street-side wine taverns and beer gardens simply can't be resisted. Have a look at Mehlplatz 1, which is the former Palais Inzaghi, a little museum dedicated to Robert Stolz. The last composer of operettas was born in Graz in 1880 and grew up in this house. Many of his songs have become hits. He was a succesful film composer and got two "Oscars" for his work. The bourgeois town house at Mehlplatz 4, with its richly structured baroque façade, was erected at the beginning of the 18th century. Note that the chairman of the conference was living in an appartment at Mehlplatz 3 for several years during his undergraduate study at Graz University of Technology. At that time (20 years ago) cars were allowed to park in all the squares.
Now you walk from Mehlplatz via Färbergasse, with the beautiful façades with Baroque ornamental structures, to the Sporgasse, which is one of the most romantic streets in Graz. Even though the houses mostly date back to the 16th century, Sporgasse is most remarkable for its façades that coexist alongside others from different stylistic eras. At the beginning of the street (just opposite the Luegg houses) you will find a floral art nouveau façade at number 3, unique for the city centre. The front of the building next to it dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Here was the store of the furrier Mangold who produced and sold furs from otters, beavers and bears. In Sporgasse it is also worth to look upwards. You will discover many interesting things such as the gargoyles on the roof at number 13, unique for a bourgeois house in Graz. The building is thought to have been redesigned by architect Joseph Hueber, who was very well-know in Graz between 1765 and 1770. For 350 years a brewery and an inn called "Zum Römischen Kaiser" were located in the building. Saint Nepomuk, the patron saint for water, is portrayed in a cartouche on the façade, and is supposed to guarantee the high quality of the most important raw material in the art of brewing.
At the corner house of Sporgasse/Hofgasse are three sandstone coats of arms made from 1691/92. These and the cross of the Teutonic order above the entrance commemorate the fact that the building was owned by the German order of Knights from 1680 to 1939. From Sporgasse you now turn into Hofgasse where three buildings immediately catch your eye: (i) a shop, designed by the London architect Claudio Silvestrin in the form of a temple; (ii) in contrast, the Hofbäckerei (court bakery) Edegger-Tax with its portal consisting of oak and walnut inlays made in the year 1896 by Anton Irschick, a master court carpenter, and (iii) the house number 10, the also called "Taubenkogel" because of its strange tower with a staircase looking onto the courtyard. This tower was attached to the Jesuit grammar school building when it was adapted in the year 1619. The unique way the façades in Graz were modelled on those of high-Ranaissance of Rome is of cultural and historical interest.
Walking along Hofgasse you come to Freiheitsplatz, a square that was built in the years 1835/40 after the estate theatre, today the Schauspielhaus, had burned down. The old theatre was built in 1776; the outer appearance of the Schauspielhaus, as it is today, largely corresponds with the new neo-classic building designed by Peter Nobiles. Just opposite the Schauspielhaus you see the Alte Universität (old University). It was in 1585 that Archduke Karl approved the expansion of the Jesuit Collegium into a University. Between 1607 and 1609 under Archduke Ferdinand II, a separate university bulding was built next to the Jesuit Collegium. On the façade two coats of arms made of stone will catch your eye. They commemorate Archduke Ferdinand II and his wife Maria Anna of Bavaria. Only the coat of arms and the stone portal bearing the epigraphs "Universitas", "IHS" (symbol of the Jesuits, and commonly used for Jesus) and "MRA" (meaning Maria) stem from the original façade. The lecture halls were situated on the ground level, above them were a great hall and an academic theatre. Although the Jesuit University only consisted of a philosophical and theological faculty, the mathematical-scientific subjects also were of high standing. Now turn to the Domkirche. It began its turbulent history as a Romanesque parish church dedicated to St. Ägydius first mentioned in 1174. From 1438 onwards the later Emperor Friedrich III had a late Gothic courtyard and a parish church built here, which was connected to his new residence castle until the middle of the 19th century (Friedrich III was crowned German King in 1440 and Roman Emperor in 1452. His hometown Graz remained his most favourite residence). As a church of the Jesuit order it had been the centre of the Counter-Reformation from 1573 onwards. After dissolution of the Jesuit order and the bishop's seat in Seckau in upper Styria it became a bishop's church of Styria in 1786.
Just across the Domkirche is the Burg (castle). In the tower left of the drivethrough, after the first courtyard, you see the Gothic Doppelwendeltreppe (double-spiral staircase) of 1499, which is a masterpiece of the art of stonemasonary at the end of the Gothic epoch. The son of Emperor Friedrich III, namely Maximilian, was responsible for the castle's double spiral staircase. It is a twin spiral staircase, whose both flights of steps, each from an independent spiral staircase, unite on each floor into a common landing. Up to until the second floor, the staircase is draped around a newel, but then continues as a widely suspended stone construction. When the sun shines through the windows the sandstone shines in many colours.
Archduke Friedrich III began building the residence of the Habsburg court from 1438, and it was later expanded by his successors. The Burg from Friedrich's time consisted of two wings. In the middle of the 19th century the accommodation wing on the Hofgasse side and the passageway to Hofkirche were torn down because they were presumed to be in a state of dilapidation. By entering the first courtyard of the Burg through the mighty Renaissance gate you will detect interesting medieval traces. On top of the next gate you see, for example, the letters AEIOU and the year 1453. Above the inscription is a monogrammed stone bearing Friedrich's name and his motto, which is entwined with the monogram of Christ. With these letters Emperor Friedrich III declared the purpose of this motto that he used from 1437, namely: "Wherever these five letters stand – be it on buildings, silver cutlery or jewels this belonged to me, Archduke Friedrich junior, or I had it built or made". Later, more than 300 interpretations for the five letters AEIOU were found. The best known and most used stands for "Austriae Est Imparare Orbi Universo" (all earth is subject to Austria). Since Friedrich III was only the archduke of Styria at the time of the diary entry and since he couldn't hope to become king, AEIOU might not have had any political meaning.
The Burg together with the Gothic cathedral, the theater (Schauspielhaus) and the old Jesuit University form the so-called Stadtkrone (city crown of Graz).
Since 1922, the Burg has been used as the official residence of the Provincial Governor of Styria. |
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