Karl-Franzens University of Graz

Student Life

Museums and Sightseeing

Graz has a great variety of museums, cultural centers and exhibitions which are worth a visit. Information on opening hours etc. can be obtained from the tourist information center, Herrengasse 14. From there, guided tours throught the city center are offered at the cost of € 9,50 per person.

Theaters and Concerts

A detailed program for the theaters, the opera house and the concert halls is listed in the daily newspapers. A schedule of theater and opera performances (the so-called "Spielplan für das Opern- und Schauspielhaus") is also available free of charge at the tourist information center and in the box office ("Theaterkasse", Tel. 8000), Kaiser-Josef-Platz 10. You can also find it on internet at:
Cinemas and Cultural Institutes

Graz has quite a number of cinemas with most of the films shown in German. However, there are also some movie theaters where movies are shown in the original language ("KIZ - Augartenkino", "Filmzentrum im Rechbauerkino", "English Royal Cinemal"). A detailed program for all movie theaters in Graz is listed in the local newspapers or on the internet at: Tickets at a reduced price are available on Mondays and Wednesdays, and in some of the movie theaters you may get a student discount.

Cultural Institutes like the Institut Culturel Franco-Autrichien and DANTE ALIGHIERI offer videos, magazines and books in French and Italian.

Newspapers

The most popular local papers are "Kleine Zeitung" and "Kronenzeitung" (yellow press). Concerning nationwide quality papers, "Der Standard" and "Die Presse" are quite popular among students and academics. Foreign newspapers are sold at several newsstands in the city, as well as at the bookstore "Dradiwaberl" (Zinzendorfgasse 30, 8010 Graz), in the vicinity of the university. Many of the newspapers are also availbale on the Internet.

Sports

Concerning sports activities Graz offers a great variety of facilities for tennis, swimming, skating, cycling etc. If you like skiing you may borrow skis from the department store "Kastner&Öhler" in the city center and book a one day trip to a skiing resort organized by the same store throughout the winter months.

A must for true sports-fans is the yearly "USI-Kleeblattlauf" in June organized by the "Universitätssportinstitut", in which students, graduates and university staff of all three universities of Graz take part. After the race there is always a big party.
(More information about university sports)

Walks and excursions in and around Graz

Information on sightseeing and organized tours in Graz and its vicinity can be obtained from the tourist information center as well. The Kleiner Grazer Wanderführer containing a list and description of interesting town tours is available free of charge.

Generally, stores are open Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm (most grocery stores between 8am and 7pm) and Saturday between 9am and 5pm or 6pm (and closed on Sundays). If you urgently need something outside opening hours you can go to gas stations or to one of the stores listed below and buy what you need at quite a high price:

* SPAR, in HAUPTBAHNHOF (main train station), open daily until 10pm (normal prices)
* HASIBA, Grabenstraße 1; open Mon - Sat until 9pm
* LAUFKE, Elisabethstraße 6; open daily until 11pm
* GRAZER ECK, Mariahilferstraße 24; open daily 8.00am – 10.00pm
* WEINGRILL, Rechbauerstraße 25; open Mon - Sun until 10pm, Sun until 8pm
* Some Turkish/Oriental shops also stay open longer.

When purchasing goods valued € 75,01 or more in one transaction AND planing on taking them back home with you, you can get a form for VAT reimbursement ("Mehrwertsteuerrückvergütung") filled in for you at the time of purchase. Shoes, coats and the like are good things to get money back on. The tourist information center can give you more information on how it works. All prices in Austria include 20% VAT. Herrengasse and Annenstraße are the main shopping streets in Graz. There are several shopping malls in Graz and on the outskirts, all of which can be reached by public transportation.

* ANNENPASSAGE, Bahnhofgürtel 38, 8020 Graz
* STYRIA CENTER, corner of Volksgartenstraße & Annenstraße, 8020 Graz
* CITYPARK, Lazarettgürtel 55, 8020 Graz
* SHOPPING CENTER WEST and IKEA, Weblingergürtel 25, 8054 Graz. To get there you take the tram #5 to the last stop (Puntigam Bahnhof). The bus #64 (in the direction of "Wetzelsdorf") then takes you to the shopping center.
* SHOPPING CITY SEIERSBERG To get there, you take the tram #5 to the last stop (Puntigam Bahnhof). The bus #78 then takes you to the shopping center.
* MURPARK Take the tram # 4 to its final stop "Liebenau / Murpark"
* KASTNER & ÖHLER, Sackstraße 7-13 (right off Hauptplatz) is the only department store downtown. Prices there range from reasonable to exorbitant depending, of course, on what you buy.

DM stores ("Drogeriemärkte"), SCHLECKER or BIPA sell toiletry articles and cosmetics at inexpensive prices.

LIBRO and PAGRO are chain stores specialized on office supplies and books.

SPAR and BILLA are grocery stores, HOFER, MONDO, PENNY MARKT and LIDL are grocery (discount) stores with weekly specials.

Very popular places to shop for fruits and vegetables are the local farmers' markets, most of which are open all morning six days a week. The two largest ones are the Kaiser-Joseph-Markt (opposite the opera house) and the one on Lendplatz.

Eating out

An average meal including beverages will cost between € 7,50 - € 10. Most guests - except those who are utterly dissatisfied - will give a tip by rounding up.

There are two inexpensive student cafeterias in the vicinity of the university, where a full meal costs around € 3,60: UNI-MENSA, Schubertstraße 2 - 4 (also open during vacation) and in the new RESOWI building on campus: KATHOLISCHE MENSA, Leechgasse 24. Beliebte vegetarische Restaurants sind:

MANGOLDS Vollwertrestaurant, Grieskai 10/Griesgasse 11, 8020 Graz (open Mon - Fri 11am - 7pm, Sat. 11am - 4pm).

GINKO, Grazbachgasse 33/corner of Klosterwiesgasse, 8010 Graz (open Mo-Fr 11.30am to 9pm, Sa 11.30am-18pm).