Arrive on the Hauptplatz as the Advent calendar switches on
It is just past four in the afternoon and the cold has settled into the cobbles of the Hauptplatz. The Christmas tree in front of the Rathaus is lit, the avenue leading to the town hall is strung with lights, and the facade of the town hall itself has become a giant advent calendar, its windows opening one by one through December. Stalls run the length of the square, and the air carries mulled wine, roasted nuts and damp wool. This is the centre of Graz's Advent, and from November 20 to December 24, 2026 it is open daily from 11:00 to 20:00, with food and drink stalls pouring until 22:00. On Christmas Eve everything closes early, at 14:00.
Entry is free; you pay as you go for food, drinks and handicrafts. Bring cash and small change for the stalls, and dress for the cold — late November and December here are typically cold and sometimes damp, so sturdy shoes are worth more than a second scarf.
Follow the Nikolo and Krampus to Glockenspielplatz
If you are in Graz around St. Nicholas Day, the market to plan around is the Advent Market on Glockenspielplatz, running November 21 to December 24, 2026, daily 11:00–20:00 with food until 22:00 and a 14:00 close on December 24. Among the local handicrafts and the communal advent wreath making, this is the market the sources single out for visits from Nikolo and Krampus — the figures at the heart of the St. Nicholas tradition. The square takes its name from the glockenspiel that plays from the facade above the stalls; time your visit so you are standing under it when it chimes.
The wider city gives you eight Advent markets in the centre, all within walking distance, so you can build a St. Nicholas Day circuit on foot rather than by car. Two others worth folding into the same afternoon:
- Altgrazer Christmas Market, Franziskanerplatz — the oldest market in the city, in the Franciscan Quarter, November 20 to December 24, daily 11:00–22:00 (until 14:00 on December 24), with rural traditions and Styrian culinary products.
- Advent Market, Mehlplatz — November 20 to December 24, daily 11:00–19:00, food until 22:00, closing at 16:00 on December 24, known for creative mulled wine varieties and waffles.
Ride the funicular up to the Schlossberg for Styrian food and the view
Above the old town, the Aufsteirern Christmas Market in the Kasematten on the Schlossberg runs November 20 to December 20, 2026 — Fridays 12:00–21:00, Saturdays 10:00–21:00, Sundays 10:00–20:00, with extra opening days on December 7 and 8. Come for Styrian specialties and regional handicrafts, and stay for the view down over the rooftops of the old town. You reach it by funicular or by the Schlossberg lift.
On every Advent Saturday, public transport within tariff zone 101 is free, and that includes the Schlossberg funicular — so a Saturday is the day to move between the hill and the squares without thinking about tickets.
Fill the rest of the day: crafts, courtyards and Saturday music
Beyond the headline squares, the city's Advent spreads into smaller venues, each with its own character:
- Handicraft Market, Färberplatz — November 27 to December 23, 2026, with around fifty local and international artisans working in clay, glass, wood and metal; staggered daytime hours from 11:00 to 22:00.
- Winter Wonderlend, Mariahilferplatz — November 20 to December 23, 2026, built around a large Christmas tree with a modern lighting concept and live music every Saturday.
- Advent in Joanneumsviertel — a courtyard market with Styrian restaurateurs, plus the ARTvent handicraft market in Lesliehof; the 2026 dates were not yet published at the time of writing, though it has previously run from late November to December 23.
- Family programme on the Hauptplatz — Kids Pavilion on Saturdays 13:00–16:00 and a Christmas show with puppet theatre on Sundays 14:00–16:00; a family advent train departs from the Hauptplatz. The City of Graz publishes the detailed 2026 programme in autumn.
For food, eat your way between squares: Styrian culinary products at Franziskanerplatz, Styrian specialties up at the Kasematten, waffles and mulled wine at Mehlplatz. The Hauptplatz stalls keep serving until 22:00 even after the market itself winds down at 20:00.
Plan around the sixth of December
St. Nicholas Day falls on December 6, and the markets will be in full swing: the Hauptplatz, Franziskanerplatz, Glockenspielplatz and Mehlplatz markets all open daily through the period, and the Schlossberg market adds December 7 and 8 as extra days. The Glockenspielplatz market is the one to watch for Nikolo and Krampus. Book city-centre accommodation well in advance of Advent weekends — this is when Graz fills up — and check the City of Graz's programme in autumn for the confirmed 2026 family events and any dated St. Nicholas happenings. With the markets walkable and Saturday transport free, you can leave the car behind and let the cold, the lights and the sound of the glockenspiel do the rest.