Graz

Brief information:

• Is Graz worth seeing? Graz is the capital of Styria and the second largest city in Austria. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in Austria and always worth a visit.
• What sights are there? The landmark is the Graz Clock Tower. Furthermore: the Castle Hill, the Graz city crown, Eggenberg Palace, the Murinsel, Herrengasse & Hauptplatz, Kunsthaus Graz and much more.
• How many inhabitants does Graz have? Almost 300,000 inhabitants, 60,000 of whom are students, which is why Graz can rightly be called a university city.

Since 1999 and 2010, the Old town of Graz and the Eggenberg Palace UNESCO World Heritage SiteIn addition, Graz was the European Capital of Culture in 2003. On this occasion, the Mur Island Graz. It is a link between the river Mur and the city.

Right in the centre is the Castle Hill, which served as a fortress between 1125 and 1809. It even held out against Napoleon. In 1839, the bare rock was converted into a park. Here you can find the Graz Clock Tower and the Bell tower.  

You can reach the Schloßberg plateau via the Kriegssteig, the Schlossbergbahn (at Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai), the lift (at Schlossbergplatz) and via several footpaths.  Here you will find more information about the Schloßberg and Graz Clock Tower.

The mountain itself contains a system of tunnels several kilometers long, which served as shelters during air raids and bombing raids during the Second World War. Today, some of them are used for events. One way to experience the interior of the mountain is the Graz Fairy Tale Railway. 

The Graz Fairytale Railway is a narrow-gauge railway with a track width of 600 mm in the tunnel of Graz's Schlossberg, which starts at the lower level of the Schlossberg lift at Schlossbergplatz. It is an attraction for young and old - a particularly popular excursion in the Styrian capital for families with children aged 4 and over. During the 35-minute journey, the train passes a total of 22 stations. There is a stop at 10. As an active part of a story, passengers can get involved in the action and solve puzzles together or collect valuable items, for example. 

At the foot of the castle hill is the Graz City Crown. It consists of four monumental buildings: the Gothic cathedral (Cathedral Church of St. Giles), the important Mannerist building of the mausoleum with the integrated St. Catherine's Church from the 17th century, the old Jesuit University and the Graz Castle.

Downtown you will also find the main square, through which all of the city's tram lines pass. On the south side you can see the neoclassical town hall, and in the middle you will find the Archduke Johann fountain.

A real architectural eye-catcher is also the Art House Graz.

Sights outside the old town include the baroque Eggenberg Palace, which is the most important tourist attraction with over a million visitors annually.