AT-133970

The 1st card was also sent by Manuela and the 2nd is an official but as the 2 cards are from Graz, i decided to post them together.

© Verlag F. Hruby

Graz is the capital of Styria (Steiermark) and is the second-largest city in Austria, with a population of about 285,000. Some 40,000 of this population is made up of students, as Graz is home to no less than six universities (three "standard" universities, two dedicated to applied sciences, and one dedicated to music and arts), and is associated with names as illustrious as Johannes Kepler, Erwin Schrödinger and Nikola Tesla.

Due to its importance as a strategic position, Graz was often assaulted by Ottoman Turks in the 16th century.

During WWII, Graz was part of Nazi Germany (along with rest of Austria). At the end of the war, Graz was surrendered to Soviet troops largely intact; the historic old town was not seriously hit during Allied bombing raids on the city. - in: wikitravel

© Verlag F. Hruby

 AT-133970, sent by Anita.

The old town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighbouring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the old town consists of over 1000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to Contemporary. - in: wikipedia