Graz travel guide

Graz, Austria

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Graz

Introduction

Graz is the capital of the Austrian state of Styria, and its historic centre — the Altstadt — is regarded as one of the best-preserved urban centres in Central Europe. The city is also a major centre of higher education, home to four universities and four other higher education institutions.

Before you go

Graz is a university city in the Austrian state of Styria, with a student population that shapes its daily rhythm and a history reaching back to Roman times. The name comes from the Slovenian word gradec, meaning small castle, and the city later served as the capital of Inner Austria under the Habsburgs. Its old town survived the Second World War largely intact, and the Schlossberg fortress above the centre never fell to the Ottoman Turks.

Before you go, it helps to know what the city is known for. Graz has produced figures from Nikola Tesla to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and its universities are associated with Johannes Kepler and Erwin Schrödinger. It is also an industrial city, home to the Magna Steyr automobile and truck plant. For practical planning, the Graz Tourism website is the place to start.

Getting there

Graz Airport (GRZ) sits about 9 km south of the centre and is a relatively minor regional airport. Scheduled flights connect it with Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Munich, Vienna and Zurich, feeding into the intercontinental hubs of Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, and in summer charters serve Mediterranean holiday destinations. To reach the centre, you can take a taxi, a bus, or a train. The bus stop is directly in front of the arrival zone, and lines 630 and 631 run to Jakominiplatz, the central point of public transport, in about 20 minutes. For the train, walk roughly five minutes straight out of the airport heading east to the station, where line S5 connects to Graz Hauptbahnhof in 15 minutes. Other nearby airports include Maribor, Klagenfurt, and, a little farther away, Linz, Ljubljana, Zagreb and Vienna International; Railjet express trains and FlixBusses link Vienna Airport with Graz, some direct and others requiring a transfer at Wien Hbf, with a travel time of around 3 hours.

By train, services from Vienna run twice an hour and take 2 hr 40 min via Semmering — sit on the left for this scenic route, and on the right when returning from Graz to Vienna. Trains from Klagenfurt flash through the Koralm tunnel twice an hour, the fastest in 45 minutes, while others still wind along the old route through the mountains every two hours. Two trains a day are direct from Venice, and from Ljubljana you change at Villach; from Budapest there is one direct train a day, otherwise change in Vienna. Graz Hauptbahnhof is at the west edge of the city centre, at the end of Annenstrasse, served by trams 1, 4, 6 and 7, or a 20-minute walk. By car, the A9 runs north–south through Graz, mostly via the Plabutsch tunnel, and the A2 runs east–west just south of the city; Vienna is up the A2 to the east, while a just-as-fast but more scenic alternative is via Bruck/Mur on the S6, which has lots of tunnels. Note that the Gleinalm toll tunnel on the A9 to the north can be avoided via the longer route through Bruck an der Mur. Graz has no dedicated bus terminal: Eurolines operates from Hauptbahnhof, Dr. Richard's Linie G1 offers buses from Vienna, and regional buses run frequent services from terminals at Andreas-Hofer-Platz and Hauptbahnhof, with many buses also passing Jakominiplatz.

Getting around

Graz's compact old town is easy to explore on foot, and you can reach it in about 20 minutes on foot from the main train station. Pick up a brochure on the city's attractions at the Tourist Information in the station or in any hotel lobby you pass; it includes a map with most sights marked and suggested self-guided walking routes. For longer distances, trams form the backbone of the network, with routes meeting at Jakominiplatz, where you can change lines. Buy tram tickets from the vending machine inside the tram — coins, credit and debit cards all work, and tickets bought on board are already validated. You can also buy from the tobacco kiosk (Tabak) in the centre of Jakominiplatz, but then you must punch your ticket inside the tram; travelling without a valid, punched ticket carries a fine. Trams running through the Altstadt are free, usually one stop in all directions from Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz.

Buses fill in the districts trams do not reach, with many routes passing through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof and Geidorfplatz. Bus tickets must be bought in advance — from a vending machine, a kiosk or the GrazMobil app — and punched on entry, and because tram and bus tickets are interchangeable you can switch between them as much as you like while your ticket is valid. Services run from early morning to around midnight during the week, with night buses only on Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays. Graz is also a city of cyclists, with an excellent network of cycle paths and little rain, making a bike one of the best ways to get around the central areas; bikes can be rented, including at the Radstation next to the central railway station. Bike theft is common, so lock your bike properly against a bar, and take care around tram rails, which can catch your wheel. Counter-flow cycling on one-way streets is allowed almost everywhere — watch for signs reading "ausgenommen Radfahrer". Taxis run around the clock and can be hailed on the street, picked up at ranks such as Hauptplatz and Hauptbahnhof, or ordered by phone; avoid them during the congested early morning and early evening. Driving is best avoided: the one-way system is confusing, central parking is scarce and paid, and parking without a valid ticket is fined.

Where to stay

Where you sleep in Graz depends largely on how close you want to be to the centre. The budget options sit well outside the old town: the JUFA hostel near the Hauptbahnhof is a 30-minute walk in, in a safe but plain neighbourhood, while the ibis budget at Lendplatz is closer, about a 10-minute walk, with decent bars such as Die Scherbe and PPC nearby. The a&o near the main station is another dorm-style choice. If you'd rather be central, the mid-range and splurge addresses cluster around the Hauptplatz and the streets just off it.

Near the main railway station you'll find several mid-range hotels, including the Europa and Daniel on the station side, and the B&B and Drei Raben on Annenstraße, a 10-minute walk or a short tram ride into the centre; ask for a room away from the street, since Annenstraße gets busy. Motel One and ibis Styles are newer design-oriented options, and the Best Western Pfeifer Kirchenwirt sits out east at Mariatrost in semi-rural surroundings. For a central stay, the Erzherzog Johann and Aiola Living are just off the Hauptplatz, the Schlossberg Hotel is on the Kaiser-Franz-Josef Kai, and the Grand Hotel Wiesler and Hotel Weitzer face the river on Grieskai. The Romantik Parkhotel is near the Kunstuniversität, and the Ramada lies outside town by the airport and the A9 motorway.

Food & drink

For lunch, look for the cheap "Mittagsmenü" or a "Tagesempfehlung" (dish of the day) at restaurants around town; these deals tend to be fresh, generous and the best value of the day. If you're self-catering, note that the Spar supermarket in the Hauptbahnhof is the only major one open on Sunday, and while there are various Turkish markets around town, their selection is limited. Skip the hotel breakfast and head out instead: Bäckerei Sorger has many locations in and around Graz and is good for an inexpensive breakfast, while Martin Auer is the city's biggest coffee house chain, with branches including Stubenberggasse, Hans-Sachs-Gasse, Dietrichsteinplatz, Schillerplatz and Zinzendorfgasse. Other options for breakfast or brunch include Tribeka and Café Kaiserfeld on Kaiserfeldgasse, Cafe Mitte on Freiheitsplatz, Aiola Upstairs on the Schloßberg, Klyo at Schlossbergplatz, Parks on Zinzendorfgasse, Purberg on Hilmteichstraße, Omas Teekanne on Nikolaiplatz, Kaffee Weitzer on Grieskai, Kunsthauscafé on Südtiroler Platz and Die Scherbe on Stockergasse.

For street food, try the sausage stand at Franziskanerplatz, where sausages come with mustard, ketchup and/or horseradish — the "Krainer" and "Käsekrainer" are very popular in Styria. Cook Moon and Wilding, which has served burgers, hot dogs and fries since 1991, are also on Franziskanerplatz and Dietrichsteinplatz respectively. On a budget in the city centre, Sägewerk on Schlögelgasse serves excellent, cheap pizza, and there are plenty of Döner Kebab sellers, including Kepap on Franziskanergasse and Pamukale at Dietrichsteinplatz. You'll also find Muckis Weinstube Franziskanerkeller, Maggie's Leberkas Stadl, the honest pub Zum Jausnstadl, Continuum, Area 5 and Mumbai Cuisine. Around the university, Posaune and Grammophon belong to the same company as Sägewerk, Eschenlaube near the technical university draws students and hosts periodic live music, and 3 Goldene Kugeln serves fast breaded chicken in large portions at reasonable prices, with branches across the city. For something mid-range, the Schlossberg Biergarten and Schloßberg-Restaurant both offer classic food and great views over the city, while Don Camillo does good pasta and pizza, Ginko is a vegetarian restaurant and takeaway with a daily-changing menu and a pay-by-weight buffet, and Gloeckl Braeu, Die Herzl, Brandhof, Gösser Bräu, Vina, Brot & Spiele, Torona, Pension Gasthof Zur Steirerstubn and Römerstube round out the options. At the top end, Landhaus Keller serves upscale Styrian dishes heavy on pumpkin and pumpkin seed, while Zur Goldenen Birn and Artis are among the city's highest-rated fine dining spots.

What to see and do

Start in the historic old town, a World Heritage site, and simply walk: the centre rewards wandering through its courtyards and narrow streets, where you'll come across shops, restaurants, cafés and impressive architecture. Above it all stands the Schlossberg, the hill around which Graz grew up, topped by the clock tower that serves as the city's symbol. You can ride the funicular or the lift, but walking means wooded paths and some spectacular views; alternatively, climb the 260 steps from Schlossbergplatz. Paths zig-zag up from the west and north, a gentler road meanders up the eastern side, and tame red squirrels are sometimes seen at the top. Have a meal in the open air up there while taking in the view. On Glockenspielplatz, the glockenspiel comes to life with song and rotating dance figures daily. Don't miss the double spiral staircase in the Burg, the castle complex built in the fifteenth century by Emperor Frederick III and now home to the government of Styria.

For museums, the Kunsthaus is worth a visit for its design alone — you will notice the blue bubble across the river from Hauptplatz — while the Murinsel, an accessible artificial island in the river designed by Vito Acconci, holds a stage for performances and a coffeehouse. The Armory Zeughaus houses an amazing collection of arms and armour made for use rather than show, with English tours available; note that pictures are not allowed and the building gets extremely warm in summer. Eggenberg Palace, reached by tram, offers Early Baroque architecture with lavish state rooms and a guided tour recommended for its wall and ceiling paintings, ceramic stoves and inlaid wood floors. Among the churches, look for the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II with its elliptical dome, the adjacent cathedral with its exterior fresco, the Romanesque Leechkirche, the Gothic Revival Herz-Jesu-Kirche, and the Baroque churches across the Mur. Further afield, hike up the Plabutsch or walk to the ruins of Gösting castle for views over the city, and on a lovely day head to the Austrian Sculpturepark, where remarkable pieces by national and international artists stand in a pretty park. In summer, musicians of all sorts appear along the Herrengasse between Jakominiplatz and Hauptplatz.

Festivals & events

Graz keeps a steady rhythm of festivals through the warmer half of the year, most of them rooted in the city's streets and public spaces rather than in ticketed halls. The season opens in March with Elevate, then shifts in May to Lendwirbel, a neighbourhood festival that takes over the Lend district with a programme of local and participatory events.

Summer brings Zinzengrinsen in July, followed in August by La Strada, a street theatre festival that fills the city's open spaces with performances. If you want to catch the city at its most animated, plan your visit around one of these months.

Three days in Graz

Day one: Start in the Altstadt, the historic heart of Graz, and get your bearings in a city shaped by Central European, Roman, Slovenian and Inner Austria influences and long ruled by the Habsburgs. Climb the Schlossberg, the hill that dominates the centre and whose fortifications held out against the Ottoman Turks. Note that much of the city was rebuilt after the Second World War. In the evening, eat Austrian food with a Styrian accent.

Day two: Follow the city's scientific thread. Graz is associated with Nikola Tesla, Johannes Kepler and Erwin Schrödinger, so build a day around the places tied to them. If you prefer a different angle, the city's industrial side is represented by Magna Steyr. Use Jakominiplatz and Graz Hauptbahnhof as your transport anchors while moving between stops.

Day three: Take a slower day and let the Mediterranean side of Graz show itself, then acknowledge the city's other famous son, Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you are flying out, Graz Airport (GRZ) has scheduled services to Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Munich, Vienna and Zurich, with Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines among the carriers; Graz Tourism can help you plan. Otherwise, simply enjoy the Altstadt once more before you leave.

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