The bluebell-covered mountains of this cosy corner of Austria seem an unlikely place in which to find contemporary design but Graz has emerged as a forerunner in urban style, which is filtering into Styrian homes. Take, for instance, GEA (Sackstrasse 36, tel: 43 316 824 982), a chain store whose bold interiors eschew Alpine kitsch. Its Alpha Sofa (Euro480/HK$5,960) is smart and folds away into a flat base comfortable enough to sleep on.

If objects of purely decorative value are what you want, Christian Gollob - Wasserskulpturen aus Stein (Sackstrasse 20, tel: 43 316 831 267) is an intimate showroom full of sculptures in marble and graphite. The pieces boast names such as Champion (a design that plays cleverly on the idea of a sporting trophy) and the twisty Young Love (prices on application). All of Gollob's sculptures make use of water, giving them an effect almost as calming as the River Mur, which glides though the city.

Speaking of which, don't miss two modern architectural gems: the shell-shaped glass island, containing a theatre and cafe, that sits in the middle of the river and is linked to land by two footbridges; and the green glass 'porcupine' that is the Kunsthaus (art gallery, above), on the Mur's banks.