Graz is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria, Graz has a long tradition as a student city: its six universities have over 44,000 students. Graz’s “Old Town” is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe. In 1999, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. Graz was sole Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003.
Graz is the second-largest city in Austria, with a population of about 285,000. Some 40,000 of this population is made up of students, as Graz is home to no less than 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 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 Slovenian name of the castle is Gradec, which means castle; the name Graz is derived from this.
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 (refering to Styria, Carinthia and Carniola) under the Habsburgs. As stated above, Graz has a rich history in education manifested by the number of universities in the city. The first university was founded in 1585 (Karl-Franzens-Universität). Due to its importance as a strategic position, Graz was often assaulted by Ottoman Turks in the 16th century.
The fortress located on the Schlossberg (the picture to the right shows the clock tower, which is located on top of the hill) never fell to the Turks (the only place in this region). During WWII Graz was part of Nazi Germany (along with 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.
Graz is also known for the Magna Steyr (formerly called Steyr-Daimler-Puch) automobile and truck manufacturing plant located there. It is also the birthplace (in nearby Thal) of actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Its UPC-Arena was renamed in Schwarzenegger’s honor in 1997, but was renamed again in 2005 following controversy over the governor’s support of California’s death penalty. Phone: The local area code is (0)316. The country code for Austria is +43.
The city is situated on the Mur river, in the south east of Austria. It is approximately 200 km southwest of Vienna or 2.5 hours by train / 2 hours by car. The nearest larger urban center is Maribor in Slovenia which is about 50 km away. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.
Due to its position south east of the Alps, Graz is shielded from the prevailing westerly winds that bring weather fronts in from the North Atlantic to north western and central Europe. Due to this factor the weather in Graz is Mediterranean influenced. Graz therefore has more hours of sunshine per year than Vienna or Salzburg and also less wind or rain. Graz lies in a basin that only opens to the south, causing the climate to be warmer than would be expected at that latitude.
Plants are found in Graz that normally grow much further south. However, this milder, less windy climate is detrimental to the air quality in Graz as it makes the city prone to smog in winter. The exhaust fumes of the around 120,000 cars driven into Graz every weekday by people living in the surrounding areas, together with the car journeys made by the inhabitants of Graz itself, are the most significant source of air pollution.
In the last few years some groundbreakingly modern new public buildings have been erected in the city. The most famous of these include the Kunsthaus (house of modern art) designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, a museum constructed right next to the river Mur, and the “Murinsel” (island in the Mur), an island made of steel, situated in the river. It was designed by the American architect Vito Acconci and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground.
The old town of Graz is easily explored on foot, and is reachable with a 20 minute 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: Tram – Graz has an excellent tram service running through the Jakominiplatz where the different routes meet and you can change trams and buy tickets at the tobacco kiosk (Tabak). 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 Euros). You can buy hourly, daily, weekly or monthly tickets (also available at the driver). They are valid on all modes of public transport throughout Zone 101 (Graz plus immideate surroundings including the airport!) 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.
Bike – Graz has an excellent network of cyclepaths. Due to this and the relative small size of the city, using a bike to get around, at least the central areas of Graz, is one of the best choices. It also helps that it does not rain a lot in Graz… Bikes may be rented, although if you are staying a bit longer buying a used one (and maybe reselling it) from one of the many bike stores may be cheaper. Bike theft is a common problem in Graz, so take care that your bike is properly locked when you are not using it. Also, if you are inexperienced bicycling around trams, take extra caution (especially noting that getting your wheel stuck in a tram rail could knock you down — with trams potentially coming right behind and beside you!)
Taxi – Taxis are available 24h a day. You can hail one on the street, go to a taxi- rank or simply order one by phone. The taxi ranks with the best chances of getting a taxi day or night are “Hauptplatz” (Right side of City Hall) or “Hauptbahnhof”. There is a base rate of approx. €4 for all rides. Avoid taxis in the early morning and early evening when traffic congestion can make a taxi ride very expensive.
Car – If you can avoid it, just avoid it. Graz has areas with an inscrutable one-way system which makes it easy to get lost. Parking space in central areas are rare and subject to a fee from Monday to Friday (9.00am to 8.00pm, in front of Hauptbahnhof to 9pm) and on Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Tickets can be bought from ticket machines placed in every street. A ticket for half an hour costs €0,60 (“blue zones”, “green zones” are a bit cheaper). The maximum parking duration is three hours.
The old town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Being situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighbouring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the old town consists of over 1000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to Contemporary. The most important sights in the old town are:
Schloßberg, hill dominating the old town (475 m high), site of demolished fortress, with views over Graz. Uhrturm clocktower, symbol of Graz, on the top of Schloßberg. Neue Gallerie . Museum of art. Schloßbergbahn, a funicular railway up the Schloßberg. The Landhaus, the building where the federal state parliament of Styria resides, a palace in Lombardic style. It belongs to the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Austria and was built by the Italian architect Domenico dell’Allio between 1557 and 1565.
The Landeszeughaus, armoury, the largest of its kind in the world. The Schauspielhaus is the principal theatre. Dom (cathedral), a rare monument of Gothic architecture. Once, there had been many frescos on the outer walls, today, there are only few remains, like the Landplagenbild (“picture of plagues”) painted in 1485, presumably by Thomas von Villach. The three plagues it depicts are locusts, pestilence and the invasion of the Turks, all of them striking the town in 1480. It features the oldest painted view of Graz.
Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II next to the cathedral, the most important building of Mannerism in Graz. It includes both the grave, where Ferdinand II and his wife are buried, and a church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. Rathaus (Town Hall). Burg (castle complex), with Gothic double staircase, built between 1438 and 1453 by Emperor Frederick III because the old castle on the Schloßberg was too small and uncomfortable. The Burg remained the residence of the Inner Austrian Court until 1619. Today, it serves as residence of the government of Styria.
Gemaltes Haus (“painted house”), in Herrengasse 3. It is completely covered with frescos (painted in 1742 by Johann Mayer). Kunsthaus (museum of modern art). Murinsel, an artificial island in the Mur. Buildings, courtyards (e. g. Early Renaissance courtyard of the Former House of Teutonic Knights in Sporgasse 22) and roofscape of the old town.
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 a archway on the left where a road meaders 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 at Schlossbergplatz. You also might see some of the tame red squirrels (Eichkätzchen) at the top. Use the Schloßbergbahn, a cable car, which can be found 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 take a stroll up it. Perhaps I should say climb, because 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. Swimming. Normally after May, the water in the outdoor swimming pools very quickly warms-up enough to enjoy swimming.
Due to its importance as a university city, Graz has a vibrant night life. Bars are concentrated around the old town as well as the Karl-Franzens-University to the west of the old town. The old town has a mixed audience while the bars around university are mostly attended by students. In the old town you’ll also find a few Irish pubs. Whereas the most Irish of them is O’Carolan’s right next to the main square (Hauptplatz) others include Flann O’Briens and Molly Malone’s. The Office is a very laidback and unique new addition to the Irish/British pub scene in Graz. The Office features regular live music and jam sessions, as well as the odd bit of Karaoke, and darts (steel – you know, the real ones from England) every Sunday.
There are currently 228 buildings in Graz that are classified as highrise buildings. In Graz a building is classified as being highrise if the floor of at least one room is 22 metres above ground level. Buildings that are classified as highrise have to adhere to much more stringent fire safety regulations because the ladders of the majority of fire appliances used by Graz Fire Brigade cannot reach higher than 22 metres.
In Graz there are a some new high rise buildings in the pipeline, the only one that currently (July 2007) is looking certain to be build is a 15 storey officeblock opposite the “Stadthalle” on the southern edge of the city centre. The construction of this officeblock is to commence in June 2008.
An extensive public transportation network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing a tram network consisting of six lines, two of which run from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) to the old town before branching out. Furthermore, there are seven night-time bus routes, although these operate only at weekends and on evenings preceding public holidays.
From the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), regional trains link to most of Styria. Direct trains also run to most major cities nearby including Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Maribor and Ljubljana in Slovenia, Zagreb in Croatia, Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary and Zurich in Switzerland. Trains for Vienna leave every hour. Graz Airport is about 10 kilometres south of the city centre and has a railway station within walking distance (east of the airport).
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