Graz - Austria

Ivy Tjok has just returned from one of her many travels. She spent several weeks in Europe traveling with her friends Horst & Natascha Wilms, who reside in a small village just outside of Zurich named Walenstadt. From Walenstadt they continued onwards to Graz (Austria). Did you know that Graz is the second largest city next to Vienna in Austria? And did you know this is where Arnold Schwarzenegger was born? And that Graz is a Unesco World site since 1999. If you haven't visited Graz, you should consider so, as it is not very touristy (you'll have a hard time to find souvenir shops or postcards) and there is plenty to see. For instance the Eggenberg Castle is magnificent and rivals the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Or take a look at the Lipizanner horses which are bred just outside of the city. Of course you can get lost in the "Bermuda triangle" as the locals call it, which is filled with bars, restaurants, and cafes (meaning you can get lost in any of them and never return).

From Graz, they continued to travel to Slovakia to the very known Thermia Palace in Piestany. This is a spa island, where a lot of Europeans go to for their treatments on a yearly basis. It now is a 5 star property and the setting of this grande dame is picturesque!

From Piestany, Ivy traveled to Budapest to discover what Budapest has to offer. WOW! What a great city, consisting of Buda & Pest. The older part, Buda is up on the hill and across the bridge lies Pest. You can stroll along the Danube, where there are cafes and benches to sit under the trees. And in the evening when the city is lit up it is truly enchanting! There are two Virtuoso hotels in Budapest, the Kempinski (where Ivy stayed) and the Four Seasons. Two very different properties in great locations. The Kempinski is situated close to the river and around the corner is the pedestrian shopping street. Whereas the Four Seasons is across the bridge to the Buda side. For further details regarding these cities, contact Ivy.

Trip Write Ups