The ice nativity scene

Ice Crib in the Graz Landhaus Courtyard

The Landhaus Courtyard is accessible daily from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM

It is the magical attraction during Advent: the ice crib in the Landhaus Courtyard. Around 35 tons of ice are sculpted by the ice artist Kimmo Frosti and his international ice carving team into a unique work of art.

The ice crib and the life-size nativity figures are undoubtedly a unique, albeit ephemeral, work of art again this year. For the winter has a particular fondness for the ice crib in the Renaissance courtyard of the Graz Landhaus: Every year at the beginning of Advent, the crib is carved from 35 tons of crystal-clear ice, and as if it were a special pleasure, it gladly sends a few frosty nights but sometimes also beautifully mild days thereafter. This way, visitors to the Landhaus Courtyard won't get cold too quickly, and if the crib suffers too much, a second and third set of figures takes on the demanding job of spreading the atmosphere.

The ice crib in Graz was and is the world's first and only Christmas crib made of clear ice on this scale. By the way, the first ice crib in Graz was created in 1996, and the ice crib was magically brought to the Landhaus Courtyard for many years by ice artist Gert J. Hödl.

The approximately 5 m high and 7 m long ice crib can be visited from the end of November 2026 to the end of December - provided the weather is favorable - in the Landhaus Courtyard.

Link to the Ice Crib Webcam

If you want even more ice, you shouldn't miss the Graz Winter World – an ice skating dream beneath the Graz Castle Mountain with 3,000 m2 of space. While skating, playing ice hockey, and curling, the wait for the Christ Child passes in no time.