Our first full day in Graz

Today we had our first full day in Graz.  The host families brought our students into the historic part of town, where we met up with our Onsite Coordinator, Peter, and our tour guide, one of the host fathers. We started with an overview of the history of Graz. These pictures were taken in the Graz museum, which is housed in the building where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born. 

After this, we headed to the top of the Schlossberg (a large with hill, which used to have a fortress at the top). Here are the stairs that take you to the top:

The students were quite pleased to find out that we were riding the funicular to the top of the Schlossberg instead of taking the stairs.  We'll save the stairs for another day. :)

At the top of the Schlossberg, we saw the Glockenturm (bell tower).

The Schlossberg offers a beautiful view of Graz. In addition to enjoying the view, we learned more about the history of Graz from our tour guide. One of the host mother's even showed each of the students where their host family lives so that they could orient themselves in the city.

Next, we headed down the Schlossberg and back into the Altstadt.  There we visited the Landhaus, the first Renaissance building in Graz. 

After that, we relaxed a bit in a traditional Kaffeehaus before heading to lunch, where most students tried Wiener Schnitzel.  Our delicious lunch also gave them strength for the placement exam that we took afterwards. :)

Now, we begin a long weekend with Fronleichnahm tomorrow and a Fenstertag on Friday. This Sunday is also Vatertag (Father's Day) in Austria.  This weekend gives students a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with their host families.