A plan for Graz

Graz has a population of just over 300,000 (2024). It has been a vital urban centre for both Styria, Austria and Slovenia, and has produced a number of talents in many fields, ranging from the inventor Nikola Tesla to the former California Governator and bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Some 40,000 of the city's population is made up of students, as Graz is home to six universities (four "standard" universities and two dedicated solely to applied sciences), and is associated with names as illustrious as Johannes Kepler, Erwin Schrödinger and Nikola Tesla. The first university was founded in 1585 (Karl-Franzens-Universität).

Graz is also known for its Magna Steyr (formerly called Steyr-Daimler-Puch) automobile and truck manufacturing plant.

History

The roots of Graz can be traced back to Roman times, when a small fort was built where the city centre is today; Slovenians later built a larger fortress in the same place. The name "Graz" is derived from the Slovenian word gradec, which means small castle. Graz was first mentioned with its German name in 1128 when the dukes of Babenberg turned the place into a commercial centre. During 15th century Graz became the capital of Inner Austria (referring to Styria, Carinthia and Carniola) under the Habsburgs.

Due to its importance as a strategic position, Graz was often assaulted by Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. The fortress on the Schlossberg (the picture to the right shows the clock tower, which is on top of the hill) never fell to the Turks (the only place in this region).

During World War II, Graz was part of Nazi Germany (along with the rest of Austria). At the end of the war, Graz was surrendered to Soviet troops largely intact; the historic old town was not seriously hit during Allied bombing raids on the city. In 2003 Graz was the Cultural Capital of Europe.

The historic old town. It has been designated a World Heritage site.

1 The Schlossberg (Schloßberg). The castle perched upon a hill in the middle of the city around which Graz sprang up. The funicular (Schloßbergbahn) (10-day and tourist tram/bus ticket covers the ride), and elevator (Schloßberglift) (€2) will take the effort out of the walk to the top, although to use them would be to miss the wooded paths and some spectacular views. Alternatively, you can climb the 260 steps from Schloßbergplatz to the Graz clock tower. (updated May 2023)

2 Clock Tower (Uhrturm). On the top of the Schloßberg, the symbol of Graz.

3 Glockenspiel, Glockenspielplatz. It comes to life with song and rotating dance figures every day at precisely 11:00, 15:00 and 18:00.

4 Eggenberg Palace (Schloss Eggenberg) (Tram 1 direction Eggenberg/UKH), ☏ +43 316 583264-0. 10:00-17:00. Guided Tours: Tue-Sun and public holidays at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. Early Baroque architecture with lavish state rooms. There is a €2 fee for entering the park surrounding the castle, which they likely will not charge if you say you intend to take the castle tour. The castle guided tour is highly recommended though, as it contains dramatic wall and ceiling paintings, elaborate ceramic stoves, and inlaid wood floors. Eggenberg Castle is closed from 1 January till 23 March. €13, free entry to the museum with Steiermark-Card or GenussCard. (updated Feb 2018)

Don't miss the double spiral staircase in the Burg, a castle complex built between 1438 and 1453 by Emperor Frederick III which is today inhabited by the government of Styria.

Walk around the centre of the town and explore the many courtyards and narrow streets discovering many interesting shops, restaurants and cafés as well as the impressive architecture.

Walk or climb up the Schloßberg and have a meal in the open-air at the top whilst admiring the views. The easiest way is to walk up the Sporgasse from the Hauptplatz to the "Karmeliterplatz" where you walk under an archway on the left where a road meanders up the gentler eastern side of the Schloßberg. From the west and north you have a choice of zig-zag paths or to climb the steps from "Schlossbergplatz". There is also a lift going up inside the mountain at Schlossbergplatz. You also might see some of the tame red squirrels (Eichkätzchen) at the top. Use the Schloßbergbahn, a cable car which you'll find at the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai, to go up or down if you don't feel like walking.

Take the number 1 tram to the terminus at the bottom of the Plabutsch, a hill on the western edge of Graz, and hike up it. It's quite strenuous, and you really need walking boots and perhaps a map.

Take bus number 40 to the terminus and walk up (very steep) to the ruins of Gösting castle and enjoy the view over the city.

Swim. Normally after May, the water in the outdoor swimming pools very quickly warms-up enough to enjoy swimming:

Eggenberger Bad, Janzgasse 21.

Augartenbad, Schönaugürtel 1 (right next to the river Mur and the Schönaubrücke bridge).

Bad Strassgang, Martinhofstraße 3.

Margarethenbad, Grillparzerstraße 10.

Ragnitzbad, Pesendorferweg 7.

Stukitzbad, Andritzer Reichsstraße 25a.

Boat or skate on the Hilmteich or Thalersee (just outside Graz), depending on the season.

A nice trip for a lovely day leads to the Austrian Sculpturepark. Remarkable pieces of art from numerous national and international artists in a pretty park. You can enter for free, but you better bring something to drink and a snack. Reachable by a free shuttlebus in summer to Schwarzlsee or with regional bus 630 from Jakominiplatz. You can also go by bike, it's a nice ride passing by the airport.

Football:. SK Sturm Graz play soccer in Austrian Bundesliga, the top tier. Their home ground Liebenauer or Merkur Arena (capacity 16,000) is two km south of city centre.

Restaurants have cheap lunch deals ("Mittagsmenü") (12:00-15:00) or a dish of the day ("Tagesempfehlung") that are usually very good, fresh and have the best value.

The Spar supermarket in the Hauptbahnhof is the only major one open on Sunday. There are various Turkish markets around town, but their selection is limited.

Breakfast

If you don't like a boring hotel breakfast, go out for breakfast or brunch.

Bäckerei Sorger. Nice for inexpensive breakfast with many locations in and arount Graz (Jakominiplatz, Sporgasse, Südtiroler Platz, etc.)

Martin Auer. Graz's biggest coffee house chain. Locations: Stubenberggasse, Hans-Sachs-Gasse, Dietrichsteinplatz, Schillerplatz, Zinzendorfgasse, etc.

Tribeka, Kaiserfeldgasse 6.

Café Kaiserfeld, Kaiserfeldgasse 21.

Cafe Mitte, Freiheitsplatz 2.

Aiola Upstairs, Schloßberg.

Klyo, Schlossbergplatz.

Parks, Zinzendorfgasse 4.

Purberg, Hilmteichstraße 70.

Omas Teekanne, Nikolaiplatz 1.

Kaffee Weitzer, Grieskai 12.

Kunsthauscafé, Südtiroler Platz 2.

Die Scherbe, Stockergasse 2.

Street food

1 Sausage-stand at Franziskanerplatz, Franziskanerpl.. Sausages with mustard, ketchup and/or horseradish are best here. Try "Krainer" or "Käsekrainer", which are very popular sausages in Styria. (updated Jun 2022)

2 Cook Moon, Franziskanerpl. Stand 16. (updated Sep 2022)

3 Wilding - Burger - Hot Dog - Fries - since 1991, Dietrichsteinpl. 1. (updated Sep 2022)

Budget

City centre

4 Sägewerk, Schlögelgasse 1 (between Dietrichsteinplatz and Kaiserjosef-Platz), ☏ +43 316-820258. They serve excellent and cheap pizza. (updated Sep 2022)

5 Euro-Kepap, Franziskanergasse 2. There are a lot of Döner Kebab sellers in Graz. Another good one is Pamukale at Dietrichsteinplatz. (updated Sep 2022)

6 Muckis Weinstube Franziskanerkeller, Kapaunpl. 5. (updated Sep 2022)

7 Maggie´s Leberkas Stadl, Neue-Welt-Gasse 6. (updated Sep 2022)

8 Zum Jausnstadl, Brückenkopfgasse 9, ☏ +43316710000, jausnstadl@gmx.net. 06:00-22:00. Great honest pub. 10EUR. (updated May 2026)

Due to its importance as a university city, Graz has a vibrant night life.

Bars are concentrated around the old town, along the Mariahilferstrasse in district Lend as well as the Karl-Franzens-University to the west of the old town. The old town and Mariahilferstrasse have a mixed audience while the bars around university are mostly attended by students.

Kombuese. Small, wooden bar in the Stadtpark, near Kuenstler Haus (Erzherzog Johann Allee 2) Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, after 22:00 best times after 01:00 in the morning. Cheap beer, a few but very good sandwiches, sells also cigarettes. What's special about this place is that you can see people of all ages and styles. No-one will care who you are or what you look like, it's all about having this one thing in common: having fun here and now without other concerns. Different DJs every night, especially Friday and Saturday everyone dances until very early in the morning! It usually gets very crowded after 01:00 but if you relax and get into the mood, you will always find your space in there.

The Office Pub, ☏ +43 316 890838, office@theofficepub.at. Trauttmansdorffgasse 3. Bus stop: Line 30 at Palais Trauttmansdorff. Open every day from 17:00 to 02:00 (or later) Where the ex-pats get together in Graz! An authentic style English pub, right in the center of Graz, cozy atmosphere and affordable prices. Premier League football - all the big matches live. English speaking staff. Pub Quiz every Tuesday, live music. Serves home made chili, curry, soup or toasted sandwiches. Free Internet and Darts!

Parkhouse, ☏ +43 316 827434. Stadtpark 2. Located in the centre of the municipal park, this is a popular place with students and a lovely outside seating area. Has laid-back electronic music, concerts and live-DJs in summer. Probably the best place to go for a relaxed drink in spring & summer when it's warm. Open daily from 11:00 to 04:00.

The old town of Graz is easily explored on foot and is reachable with a 20 min walk from the main train station. Stop at the Tourist Information at the train station, or any hotel lobby that you come across to pick up a brochure on attractions in Graz. This brochure also contains a map with most of the sights marked, as well as recommended self-guided walking routes through the town.

For other needs, public transportation options exist:

By tram

All tram tickets can be bought inside the tram. Graz has an excellent tram service running through the Jakominiplatz where the different routes meet and you can change trams. You can also buy tickets at the tobacco kiosk (Tabak) in the centre of the square. If you buy tickets from the kiosk, make sure you punch your ticket inside the tram (If you get caught without a valid/punched ticket you will have to pay a fine of €60; if you buy it inside the tram, it is already validated).

Ticket prices: You can buy hourly (€3.30), 24 hours (€7.20), weekly (€20.80), monthly, or 10-trip (€26.90) tickets. Coins, credit cards, debit cards all work at the vending machine in the tram. They are valid on all modes of public transport throughout Zone 101 (Graz plus immediate surroundings including the airport). Children (6 to 14) get 50% discount, Youth (15 to 18) 35% on hourly and 24-hour-tickets.

Trams running through the old city (Altstadt) are free, usually one stop in all directions from Hauptplatz (Main Square) and Jakominiplatz.

By bus

Graz also has an excellent city bus network taking in the parts of Graz not serviced by trams. Many buses go through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof and Geidorfplatz. The tickets are the same as for the tram. Be sure to get yourself a map (at Jakominiplatz) of the network if you plan to use it frequently. Also check out [2].