Dear readers. I am pretty sure you know your way south. Either by train or along the highway, Graz in Styria, Austria’s second largest city, is only about two hours from the capital city of Vienna. Thanks to its southern, almost Mediterranean flair, Graz is a city that truly merits your visit.
But there is another way south, too. A way that has you bypass the highway for the green lung of the Mürz valley, heading south from Vienna to Graz on country roads. Just slightly longer than the highway, but all the more attractive, as the road meanders its way through forest-clad hills, cute little towns and delicious foodie, creative travel tips.
Blow your own glass souvenir, enjoy local cuisine at a top level, take a walk through the “Forest of the Senses”: Neuberg an der Mürz is home to a wide variety of cool, creative activities.
“Well … According to the GPS, we still have some way to go further into the Mürz valley …”, my dear friend and travel companion Gudrun Krinzinger (who publishes on her travel blog “Reisebloggerin“!) tells me as we stop in Mürzzuschlag. Passing clouds are starting to lift from the lush, green forest floor, filling the air with a fresh, natural odor. We take a deep breath: Time to try our hands (or mouths, as it is!) at the art of glassblowing at the “Kaiserhof Glasmanufaktur” in Neuberg an der Mürz. As I recently wrote in “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook”, creative travel often means taking a leap of faith – and a step out of your comfort zone. Embracing new experiences, trusting in your own abilities, meeting the most extraordinary people – even, or especially, in your own home country.
Ready for some new experiences …
… we take a look at the Glasmanufaktur Kaiserhof in Neuberg an der Mürz, where the local glassblowing artist is busy preparing new glass sculptures.
The oven constantly runs at 1.200°C, storing some 200 kilograms of liquid glass ready for production …
… resulting in pieces of glass art such as these ones!
A little later, it is our turn to create pieces of art …
… as even the youngest are invited to participate!
Quite proud of what Gudrun and I have been able to achieve in terms of creative travel souvenirs from Styria!
Following a visit to the glassblowing studio, I recommend you to have lunch at Gasthof Huber Holzer, where you can be assured of the quality of their regional, organic produce reflected in a variety of local meals. A little later, Gudrun and I take to the “Forest of the Senses” (look for a sign that says “Wald der Sinne”), a small patch of forest that local lady Barbara Holzer has turned into a sensory experience park. A beautiful way to reconnect with nature. We even meet Barbara, up there in her forest, who then invites us to have a coffee and typical “Buchteln” sweets back home with her family. One by one, granny, granddad, the kids and cousins show up: “So you are travel bloggers?! Wow ..!” 😀
Barbara’s “Wald der Sinne” …
… is always worth the visit, listening and feeling for what the forest has to say.
There’s a lot to learn from here, for instance communicating through the wood telephone …
… or simply taking the time to enjoy the natural surroundings …
… and relax. Feel the magic of the Styrian Mürz valley at your feet.
Last but not least, I recommend you to spend at least half a day at the Open Air Museum Stübing. Even more, if you want to get creative there and take your time enjoying the beautiful, natural surroundings.
The Open Air Museum Stübing near Graz is home to a large variety of old farm houses from all over Austria. In addition to walking around, the “valley of stories” regularly runs creative craft workshops for visitors, reflecting the variety of traditional know-how. These interactive experiences include trying your hands at wood cutting, basket weaving, roof covering and much more. In fact, what we call “creative experiences” today reflects a tough, everyday reality for the people who lived here during past centuries. A reality that becomes a bit clearer as you engage personally around the museum.
The Open Air Museum Stübing near Graz …
… offers us to “touch-base” with a reality of rural, Austrian farm life during past centuries.
Take this farm house from Burgenland, Austria’s easternmost province, which has been dissembled and reassembled here with great care for detail …
… or this one from Styria: Method of constructions and available material differ greatly as you move from east to west in Austria.
This man is teaching us how to prepare pine wood for making roof shingles …
… learning more about the way old crafts went.
I am fascinated by the local shop of old – a true treasure chest if you ask me …
… or the former school buildings dating back to the 19th and early 20th century …
… Stübing, we’ll be back!
Check out even more colourful experiences in my Flickr photo gallery about our creative trip in Styria:
Disclaimer: We have been invited by the Kaiserhof Glasmanufaktur Neuberg an der Mürz as well as the Open Air Museum Stübing near Graz to experience creative travel in Styria. All opinions are my own.