Graz

Austria's second city, with its red-roofed old town and Schloss Eggenberg listed as World Heritage, the Schlossberg Clock Tower and the Murinsel blending old and new, and the South Styrian Wine Road, dubbed Austria's Tuscany.

Graz is Austria's second-largest city and the capital of Styria, straddling the River Mur about 40 km north of the Slovenian border. Milder and sunnier than Vienna, it is also known as "Austria's Mediterranean". The old town and Schloss Eggenberg are jointly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with well-preserved red-tiled roofs, Renaissance arcaded courtyards and Baroque palaces. In 2011 the city was named a UNESCO City of Design, and contemporary architecture such as the Murinsel and the "Friendly Alien" Kunsthaus contrasts strikingly with the historic centre. Graz is also a university town, with lots of students and inexpensive food; Styrian pumpkin seed oil, fried chicken (Backhendl) and white wine are its signature flavours. Areas to explore: the old town on the east bank (Hauptplatz, Herrengasse, the arcaded courtyard of the Landhaus, the Armoury, the cathedral and mausoleum, the double spiral staircase in the Burg, the Clock Tower and the Schlossberg); the Murinsel, the Kunsthaus and the Lend district on the west bank; and Schloss Eggenberg on the western edge of the city. For day trips, head to the Stübing open-air museum, the Lipizzaner stud at Piber and the Hundertwasser church, the Schöckl and the caves; to the southeast lie Riegersburg Castle and the Zotter chocolate factory, to the south the South Styrian Wine Road, and to the north the Bärenschützklamm gorge and the emerald-green Grüner See. The best time to visit is May–Oct; during the Sep–Oct grape harvest you can sample new wine at a Buschenschank (wine tavern). Winter brings Christmas markets and an ice sculpture on the Schlossberg. Getting there: Graz Airport has flights to Vienna, Frankfurt and elsewhere; by train it's about 2.5 hours from Vienna and about 4 hours from Salzburg. Trams make getting around easy, and the old town is walkable. Allow 2–3 days, plus a day each for the Wine Road or the castle route. Most shops close on Sundays.

Top sights

• Schlossberg – A hill park in the old town centre. Take a funicular, a glass lift or climb the stone steps to the top for views over a sea of red roofs.
• Clock Tower (Uhrturm) – The symbol of Graz on the southern slope of Schlossberg. Its clock is unique because the hour hand is long and the minute hand is short, wh…
• Schloss Eggenberg – One of Austria's most important Baroque palaces, designed around cosmic symbolism. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Graz's…
• Kunsthaus Graz – A contemporary art museum shaped like a giant blue creature. Locals affectionately call it the “Friendly Alien,” and it has become a new la…
• Styrian Armoury (Landeszeughaus) – The world's largest historic arsenal that remains in its original state, with more than 30,000 suits of armour and weapons from the 15th to…
• Murinsel – A shell-shaped artificial island of steel and glass floating on the Mur River, with a café and open-air theatre, linking the two banks.
• Graz Cathedral – A 15th-century Gothic court church whose southern exterior wall features the famous Plagues of God mural.
• Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II – A Mannerist mausoleum beside the cathedral, with St. Catherine's Church, whose interior was decorated by master architect Johann Bernhard F…
• Hauptplatz – The central square of the old town, ringed by the town hall and colourful Baroque facades, and the hub of life and transport in Graz.
• Landhaus Courtyard – A 16th-century Lombard Renaissance provincial parliament building whose three-tiered arcaded courtyard is considered one of the most beauti…
• Grazer Burg & Double Spiral Staircase – Former residence of Emperor Frederick III, home to a Gothic double spiral staircase completed in 1499, an architectural marvel.
• Glockenspielplatz – A small square in the Old Town where a pair of costumed wooden figures twirl out of a window at set times, accompanied by carillon music.
• Joanneum Quarter – Home to Austria's oldest public museum, the Joanneum Quarter brings together the Natural History Museum, the New Gallery, and the State Lib…
• Stadtpark – An English-style park laid out on the former old city walls on the east side of the Old Town, lined with boulevards, fountains, and cafés.
• Graz Opera – A New Baroque opera house that opened in 1899, Austria's second-largest opera house, staging opera, operetta, and ballet.
• Basilica of Mariatrost – A yellow twin-towered Baroque pilgrimage church on a hill to the northeast of Graz, with richly painted ceilings and views over the city.
• Schöckl – Graz's 'home mountain' on the northern outskirts, rising to 1,445 metres; ride the cable car to the summit for views of the Styrian hills a…
• Austrian Open-Air Museum Stübing – A large open-air folk museum in a valley, where nearly a hundred traditional farmhouses, mills, and barns from across Austria have been rel…
• Lurgrotte – Austria's largest water cave, where guided tours showcase curtains of stalactites and a giant stalagmite nicknamed the 'Great Giant.'
• Piber Federal Stud Farm – The breeding base of the white Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, where visitors can see the stables and the black f…
• St. Barbara Church (Hundertwasser Church) – A miners' town church reimagined by artist Hundertwasser, with a golden onion dome, colorful tiles, and winding lines that give it a fairy-…
• Riegersburg Castle – A medieval fortress perched on a 480-metre volcanic rock that was never conquered; ride an inclined lift to the top to explore.
• Zotter Chocolate Factory – The factory experience center of a well-known Austrian organic chocolate brand, where you can tour the production line and taste hundreds o…
• South Styrian Wine Road – A scenic route through steep, rolling vineyards along the Slovenian border, often called the 'Tuscany of Styria.'
• Herberstein Animal Park & Castle – A large zoo and family castle in the Feistritz Gorge, featuring cheetahs, lions, and gardens, well suited to family outings.
• Rogner Bad Blumau – A fairy-tale thermal spa resort designed by Hundertwasser, with colorful wavy roofs covered in grass; day passes are available for the bath…
• Bärenschützklamm – A classic hiking gorge where 164 wooden ladders and walkways are built along waterfalls and steep cliffs, thrilling and magnificent in equa…
• Grüner See – A small lake whose water runs emerald-clear when fed by melting snow from the mountains; in late spring, rising water floods the paths and…

Where to eat

• Der Steirer – A popular local spot famous for its fried chicken and Styrian tapas, also operating as a wine shop, with value-for-mone…
• Geniesserei am Markt – A market-stall restaurant on Kaiser-Josef-Platz, awarded one Michelin star in its opening year, bringing seasonal marke…
• Stainzerbauer – An Old Town restaurant near the Cathedral, serving grandmother-style Styrian recipes with a modern twist, offering grea…
• Landhauskeller – A 16th-century restaurant adjacent to the Landhaus, specializing in refined Austrian classics and beef dishes.
• Gasthaus Lendplatzl – A family-run restaurant next to the Lendplatz farmers' market, serving Styrian home cooking made with ingredients from…
• Glöckl Bräu – An Old Town brewpub on Glockenspielplatz, serving fresh draft beer from wooden barrels alongside affordable schnitzel a…

Itineraries

• Grand Austria Road Trip: Danube, Alps & Lakes – A grand loop from Vienna through the Danube, Grossglockner, Carinthian Lake District, and Graz
• Graz, Southern Wine Country & Lake District Loop – From Graz to the South Styrian Wine Road, Lake Wörthersee, and historic castles