Graz

Area:              127 km2
Population:   253.000
Information:  http://www.graztourismus.at/

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VENUE 2010
Built in 2002, this will be the newest and hall among all the Euro 2010 venues. Besides concerts, trade fairs and congresses, the Stadthalle Graz – in the heart of the city – is also an ideal place for TV productions and sport events. A great number of rooms offer perfect conditions for the officials, VIP guests and media representatives of the Championship. Inside the hall there are also meeting points created for the fans.

Click here to download the house rules!
Click here to download the prohibited objects!

Capacity:                            5.000
Euro 2010:                         preliminary round (19.-23.01.2010)
4-Nations-tournament:   28.-30.11.2008 (CRO, DEN, EGY, AUT)

Stadthalle Graz
Messeplatz 1, 8010 Graz
Tel: +43 316 8088-0 | Fax: +43 316 8088-250
office@mcg.at | http://www.mcg.at/

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INFORMATION
The Styrian capital Graz, whose roots date back to the Roman age, lies on both sides of the River Mur. The 2003 European Capital of Culture offers a lot for everyone …

Graz is dominated by the Schlossberg, a forested mountain which rises over the medieval town center and is crisscrossed with walks from all sides. At the top is a bell tower which formed part of the now demolished castle and once was the emblem of the city. Graz' new landmark, the Kunsthaus (House of Modern Art) was constructed right next to the River Mur in 2003 where it floats like a giant, bluish bubble.

Graz, which has a population of 250,000, has a great number of interesting sights ranging from old and time-honored to dynamic and modern. The late-gothic cathedral is reminiscent of the times when Graz still was imperial seat. The baroque Mausoleum of Emperor Kaiser Ferdinand II next door is an impressive sight. The 5-story Landeszeughaus (provincial armory) houses an incredible 32,000 historic armor and weapons. The Landhaus with its Renaissance arcaded courtyard almost looks like a Venetian palazzo.

Joanneum, donated by prince Johann at the beginning of the 19th century, is Austria's largest provincial museum and spotlights nature, culture and arts in Styria. The Murinsel is an artificial floating platform in the middle of the Mur. It was constructed by the New York artist and designer Vito Acconci on the occasion of Graz becoming the 2003 European Capital of Culture.

Special events include the "Styriarte", a music festival dedicated mainly to early music, the “Steirischer Herbst” (Styrian Fall), a festival spotlighting theater, the fine arts, literature and music, the Jazz Summer, and the Eggenberg Palace Concerts. Event centers like Kunsthaus, Stadthalle, the Opera, the theater and forum stadtpark host great cultural activities throughout the year.

THE CLOCK TOWER
Although the clockworks in the tower have struck the hours accurately since 1712. Standing at the romantic landmark of Graz you could be forgetting time. The fortified medieval tower got its present shape around 1560. And its characteristic wooden gallery as a fire station. Three bells are ringing from the Clock Tower. Three coats of arms decorate the walls. People often come here in pairs. To dream or to kiss. A truly uplifting feeling.

KUNSTHAUS GRAZ
Something extra-terrestrial in the World Heritage site of Graz? Like a huge bluish bubble the landmark of new Graz is hovering above the right bank of the river Mur. Since October 2003, Kunsthaus – affectionately called "a friendly alien" by its creators, Peter Cook and Colin Fournier – has attracted people with spectacular architecture and changing exhibitions of contemporary art. Moreover, Kunsthaus is a symbol of the harmonious co-existence of old and new in Graz. After all, it is growing out of the Eisernes Haus which in 1848 caused quite a stir as one of the first cast-iron buildings on the Continent.

MUR ISLAND
What was meant to be a temporary project of the Cultural Capital of Europe, Graz 2003, has turned into an attraction – the island in the river Mur. The New York artist Vito Acconci designed a steel grid structure in the shape of a half-opened shell. The open part – an amphitheatre for performances but also a resting place for sun-seekers. The covered part – a very trendy café. The island also functions
as a bridge between the two banks of the river Mur.

THE CATHEDRAL
Today's cathedral reminds of the days when Graz was an imperial city. Emperor Frederick III erected the church together with his new residence in Graz. In the course of history, the cathedral saw many changes. Construction work of the court and parish church in late-Gothic style was started in 1438, as Jesuit church it was refurbished in Baroque style in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Since 1786 it has been the cathedral, i.e. the bishop's and main church of the Catholics in Styria.

THE CARILLON
Three times a day locals and tourists gather for a nice spectacle in Glockenspielplatz. The Graz carillon chimes three melodies. And in the gable windows a wooden couple in proper costume dances to the sound. In the end, a golden cock crows three times "Kikeriki" (German for cock-a-doodle-doo). If you miss all that at 11 a.m., come back at 3 or 6 p.m.

More sights & attractions: http://www.graztourismus.at/.