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Styria
Styria is a popular and especially attractive holiday destination stretching from Salzburg to the Hungarian border in the East. In the Dachstein Gebirge overshadowing the Enns Valley, skiing is possible all year round. The south of the province known as the Weinstrasse (Wine Road) is dominated by large vineyards. Styria also has a wealth of green pine forests suitable for rambles and hikes during the summer.
GRAZ: From the 15th century, Graz was a major bulwark against the Turks and, in the 17th century adopted the Baroque before the rest of the Austrian empire. The city is compact and most important sights are within walking distance of the market square of the Hauptplatz. The Landesmuseum Johanneum, a large complex of museums, is one of the world’s oldest; including the Alte Galerie with its superb Gothic paintings. The Neue Galerie in the Herbenstrein Palace displays 19th- and 20th-century paintings, including some works by Schiele and Klimt. The Cathedral, the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II (begun in 1614), the Leech Church, the pedestrian zone of the old quarter, the Schlossberg (Castle Hill) with its Uhrtrum (clock tower) and Glockenturm (bell tower) should also be seen. Some distance west of the city is Schloss Eggenberg, the 16th-century palace noted for its state rooms and museums. More than any other provincial centre Graz preserves the old Kaffeehaus culture where one can sit all day enjoying a leisurely coffee, watching the life of the city.
Excursions: Any itinerary should include a visit to the Museum and the Convent at Leoben and to the silver mine in Oberzeiring. Piber includes the stud farm for the famous Lipizzaner horses. Stübing/Gratwein, in the forests northeast of Graz, has an excellent open-air museum of furnished houses from all over the country. The Weinstrasse stretches from Ehrenhausen to Elbiswald. Also worth exploring are Bruck an der Mur, Eisenerz, Murau, Oberzeiring, Schladming, Bad Aussee and Ramsau.
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