 Graz is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria (Steiermark in German). It has a long tradition as a student city, with six universities with over 40,000 students. Graz's "Old Town" is one of the best-preserved city centers in Central Europe, and was recently included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. In 2003 Graz was named sole Cultural Capital of Europe.
In the last few years some groundbreakingly modern new public buildings have been erected in the city. The most famous of these include the "Kunsthaus" (house of modern art) designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, a museum constructed right next to the river Mur, and the "Murinsel" (island in the Mur), an island made of steel, situated in the river. It was designed by the American architect Vito Acconci and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground. |
