We asked our visiting researcher—Gregory Kopp—the following questions:
What originally led you to come to the University of Graz?
That’s easy — It’s the people. The researchers here are creative, collaborative, and on the cutting edge in their field as well as being long-time friends. The Uni-Graz staff is very helpful, with the Welcome Center greatly assisting in my move here. Once at the Uni, I found the students’ energy and enthusiasm to be contagious and everyone in the department to be very welcoming.
And Graz itself is very pleasant. Where else can you go out your front door and walk 10 minutes for a performance in such an ornate Opernhaus while a 10-minute walk in the other direction gets you on a marked half-marathon running trail through forests and farmlands?
You’re a very athletic guy. How do you stay in shape?
I would more say I’m active rather than athletic. I like outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, backcountry skiing, and whitewater kayaking. Mostly for mental sanity, I run 12 or more km each morning or ride up our local Schöckl a couple of times a week. There are certainly worse addictions.
You ride a University of Graz bike. When did you decide to conquer Austria’s highest mountain on that bike?
The Großglockner Hochalpenstraße seemed like a must-do part of any multi-day Austrian bike tour. I’ve seen its hairpin turns in travel and automobile magazines for years, but it was only about a month prior to the trip that I put the route together with comfortably spaced scenic towns for overnight stays.
Your trip took you from Lienz over the Großglockner, through Saalfelden and Berchtesgaden to Salzburg, then on to Mondsee, Attersee, Traunsee, and finally to Hallstatt. What were your highlights along this route?
The views of the peaks from the top of the Fuscher Törl were spectacular; but knowing it was downhill from there all the way to the overnight stop in Zell am See was even nicer at the time!
The scenery was amazing. I particularly liked the views from the Fuscher Törl, the blueness of the Attersee, and the seclusion of picture-perfect Hallstatt. But it’s all the little things in between that are the true highlights of the trip: the rolling farmlands and peaceful rural houses with their colorful flower boxes; the people who strike up conversations with you because you’re on a bike rather than traveling by car or train; the camaraderie with other cyclists; and the adventures of trying to not get lost exploring new areas.
Speaking of the route, what were the road conditions like, and how safe did you feel along the way?
Bike routes are very well labelled and easier to follow than directions from online maps. Austrian drivers are the most bicycle friendly that I’ve seen anywhere, being well-trained drivers, respectfully courteous people, and bicyclists themselves. (I suspect the first thing I’ll do after returning to the US is get hit by a car while presuming they’ll grant me roadside space.)
One last question about your University of Graz bike: How satisfied were you with it?
I’m completely happy with it. Those Uni-Graz bikes are one aspect of a nice traffic-reduction program that the Uni offers. The bikes come with everything needed for practicality, such as a rear rack, lights, a kickstand, fenders, a lock, a seat cover, and enough gears to ride up the Schöckl regularly. And I’ve only worn out one set of brake pads so far.
