My husband and I spent two days in Graz, Austria, which is known to be the culinary and cultural capital. I must say, we enjoyed the city despite visiting during a heatwave. In addition to this, the two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Vienna to Graz was like a fairy tale with the sights of sweet farms, mountains, and castles. I recommend this city; therefore I’ll share the 30 reasons to love Graz, Austria.
1) Graz is a charming city with a homey feeling
2) It’s a bike-friendly city (there are bikers everywhere!)
3) The locals are quite friendly
4) The City Hall, which used to hold a prison until the 19th century, differs in architecture compared to Vienna’s Gothic city hall. The hall features statues and colorful flowers in front
5) The double spiral staircase is the ”staircase of reconciliation.” It has two opposing spiral stairs that come together, then separates, and rejoin in the end
6) Having an Iced Chai Latte and lactose-free carrot cake muffin at Tribeka, a place known for having the best coffee in Graz
7) Feel triumph after walking up the 260 stairs to the clock tower to catch stunning views of the city
8) The Clock Tower, a fortified medieval tower from 1560 and a symbol of the city
9) The Kunsthaus, also known as ”the friendly alien” by its creators, houses contemporary art from the last decades, with architecture catching anybody’s eye
10) The little lizards that run across your path as you walk up to the Clock Tower (they’re cute, alright?!)
11) Eating lunch at Frankowitsch, a restaurant and bakery over 70 years old and recommended by the locals. Frankowitsch is known for their open-faced sandwiches
12) Taking night walks around the city
13) Being the city where La Strada is held, a festival that collaborates with international artists who seek new forms of expression outside of established theaters and performances
14) Eating tapas made from local cuisine at Der Steirer
15) Being another photogenic city perfect for your Instagram
16) The Mausoleum, an imperial place of rest, and incredible sight, just like the Cathedral
17) Burgers at Beat with garlic aioli on the side
18) Taking a leisurely walk around the gardens of Schloss Eggenberg
19) Having lemonade and a vegetarian lunch at Mangolds
20) Walking through the Lendplatz farmer’s market, observing all the fresh produce and items
21) The Armory Museum, known as Landeszeughaus, which houses the largest historic armory in the world
22) Window shopping in the heart of the city, Hauptplatz
23) Breakfast at Freiblick where all meals are named after fashion designers and you get a nice view of the city from the rooftop
24) Landhaushof’s courtyard, which happens to be my favorite feature of Graz because of its beautiful Renaissance architecture
25) The Glockenspiel, a famous sight with 24 bells, where three different melodies play three times a day and statues of a young woman and man dressed in traditional costumes dance
26) The Island of Mur, a fantastic creation/construction that sits in the middle of Mur River and glows in blue all night long
27) Watching the sunset on Schlossberg
28) Pumpkin seed oil, a local specialty of Steiermark, Styria of Graz
29) Walking through the broad piazza of Joanneum Quarter and admiring the futuristic glass window architecture that comes up from the ground
30) Graz being closer to Italy than Vienna
Are you totally convinced now? Take a day trip to Graz – you won’t regret it.
Found this article to be so fascinating and interesting!! Hope I get to go to Graz some day!
It’s a really nice city, Tina! Thanks!
Hi Michelle! What a great post with so many useful infos about Graz. Also I need to say, I love the new blog layout. 🙂
Hi Una! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Hi, I loved reading this article! Great to the point. I am a local from Graz and agree with all the points. I’d add Schöckl, our house mountain where you can hike, bike or take the gondola up. Also Fürstenstand on the Plabutsch is a great place to hang out, hike, bike and then have a great, cheap Styrian meal,
Best, Lisa
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for stopping by! Those all sound like great recommendations — thanks!!
I recommend taking a tour of the interior of Schloss Eggenberg if you go back. 🙂
I lived in Graz for a year and I’m going back to live in a town 20 minutes away for two more years.
Just one thing, you’re not AMERICAN! America is a CONTINENT, not a country. Why do you US Citizens keep on stealing our continent’s name?
Dear ”Friendly Reminder,”
According to Dictionary.com, an AMERICAN is:
1) a person born, raised, or living in the U.S.
2) a person born, raised, or living in North America or South America
Therefore I qualify under both numbers, since I was born and raised in the United States in Northern America.
Have a nice day 🙂
Next time when you´re in Graz we hope to be our guest to have a Segway Tour right through Graz to get an overview of our beautiful city. On our Panorama Tour you can get a great view of the city and the landscape around it. We are looking forward to be our guest! Have a nice time!
Hey Erich,
That sounds great! I will certainty be back in Graz and would love to take a Segway Tour — so I will keep you in mind, thanks 🙂
Have just moved to Graz as part of my YA (katieimausland.wordpress.com) so really enjoyed reading this article – thanks for the advice, looking forward to ticking some of these things off my to do list!
Thanks for stopping by Katie and sharing your blog (will check it out!) and ENJOY GRAZ!
Thanks Michelle – currently planning a trip to Vienna so looking forward to reading more of your blog!
Graz is really a great city and I am looking forward to going back next year! And I loveeeee pumpkin seed oil! I’m a fan 😀 Thanks for stopping by, Kerstin!
Hi Michelle. Thanks for the great article on Graz. Very interesting, especially for me. My grandfather came from Graz and it is the city of his birth. (My Mom’s father Joseph Novak.) Thanks for the pictures. Best to you and Aldin
Uncle John & Aunt Jean
WOW Uncle John, that is a great fact! How cool your grandfather lived in a charming, nice city 🙂 Best wishes to you and the fam!