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 is always worth a visit.
- What sights are there? The landmark is the Graz clock tower. Furthermore: the Schloßberg, the Graz city crown, Schloss Eggenberg, 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.
The old town of Graz and Eggenberg Castle have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1999 and 2010, respectively. Graz was also the European Capital of Culture in 2003. For the occasion, the Murinsel Graz was designed. It is a link between the Mur River and the city.
The Schloßberg, which served as a fortress between 1125 and 1809, is right in the center. She could even hold out against Napoleon. From 1839 the development of the bare rock into a park began. Today you can find the Graz clock tower and the bell tower here.
The Schloßberg plateau can be reached via the Kriegssteig, the Schlossbergbahn (at Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai), the lift (at Schlossbergplatz) and a few footpaths. Here you can find more information about the Schloßberg and Graz clock tower.
Incidentally, there are tunnel systems a few kilometers long in the mountain itself, which were shelters during air and bombing raids during World War II. Today they are partly used for events. One possibility to experience the inside of the mountain is the Graz fairy tale train.
The Grazer Märchenbahn is a narrow-gauge railway with a gauge of 600 mm in the tunnel of the Grazer Schloßberg, which starts at the lower level of the Schloßberg lift on Schloßbergplatz. It is an attraction for young and old – a popular excursion in the Styrian capital, especially for families with children from 4 years of age. During the 35-minute journey, the train passes a total of 22 stations. At 10 a stop is made. As an active part of an action, passengers can intervene in what is happening and solve puzzles together or collect valuable things, for example.
The city crown of Graz is at the foot of the Schlossberg. It consists of four monumental buildings: the Gothic cathedral (St. Aegidius Cathedral), 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.
In the center you will also find the main square, which is traversed by all tram lines in the city. On the south side you can see the neoclassical town hall, in the middle you come across the Archduke Johann Fountain.
The Kunsthaus Graz is also a real architectural eye-catcher.
Sights outside of the old town are the baroque Eggenberg Palace, which is the most important attraction with over a million visitors annually.