Graz

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Cafe, Town View & Rooftops, Graz, Austria

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Overview

Austria’s second-largest city is its most relaxed and an instant heart-stealer, with abundant parkland, a sea of red rooftops and a narrow but fast-flowing river loudly gushing through its centre. A very beautiful bluff – connected to the centre by steps, a funicular and a glass lift – is the city's signature attribute. Architecturally, Graz hints at nearby Italy with its Renaissance courtyards and baroque palaces. That said, there's a youthful energy here too, with a handful of edgily modern buildings, a vibrant arts scene and upbeat, student-fuelled nightlife. This extends to both sides of the Mur, although the Lend district, across from the historic centre, skews young and edgy.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

Kunsthaus Graz
Graz
Designed by British architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, this world-class contemporary-art space is known as the 'friendly alien' by locals. The…
Schloss Eggenberg
Graz
Graz' elegant palace was created for the Eggenberg dynasty in 1625 by Giovanni Pietro de Pomis (1565–1633) at the request of Johann Ulrich (1568–1634)…
Schlossberg
Graz
Rising to 473m, Schlossberg is the site of the original fortress where Graz was founded and is marked by the city's most visible icon – the Uhrturm. Its…
Landeszeughaus
Graz
If you have a passion for armour and weapons, you'll especially enjoy the Landeszeughaus, where more than 30,000 pieces of glistening weaponry are housed…
Neue Galerie Graz
Graz
The Neue Galerie is the crowning glory of the three museums inside the Joanneumsviertel complex. The collection of works on level 0 is the highlight,…
Bundesgestüt Piber
Graz
West of Graz is the village of Piber, home to the world-famous Lipizzaner stallion stud farm. Originally the farm was based in Lipica (Slovenia), but was…
Schloss Eggenberg Museums
Graz
Graz' Schloss Eggenberg and park grounds are home to an ensemble of excellent museums, including the Alte Galerie (Old Gallery), with its outstanding…
Mausoleum of Ferdinand II
Graz
The mannerist-baroque Mausoleum of Ferdinand II was designed by Italian architect Pietro de Pomis and begun in 1614; after Pomis’ death the mausoleum was…