Graz, Austria travel guide

Austria's second city: a UNESCO Renaissance old town, a hilltop clock tower and a serious food scene.

Best time to visit: May-June, September-October
Average daily budget: $110 to $220 USD
Ideal trip length: 2 to 3 days

Graz is Vienna's relaxed younger sibling: a UNESCO-listed old town of red roofs and Italianate courtyards, topped by the Schlossberg hill and its landmark clock tower. Styria's pumpkin-seed oil, wine and produce make it Austria's culinary capital, and a 60,000-strong student body keeps prices and pretension down. The blue blob of the Kunsthaus art museum on the Mur river signals a city not stuck in its past.

Graz itinerary

Day 1, Get oriented

Morning: Ride up the Schlossberg. Take the funicular or the Schlossbergbahn lift up to the Uhrturm clock tower for the classic red-roof view.

Afternoon: Explore Altstadt, The UNESCO core of arcaded courtyards, Hauptplatz, the Landhaus and narrow shopping lanes.

Evening: Explore the Landhaushof. A Renaissance arcaded courtyard that would look at home in Florence, next to the world's largest historic armoury.

Day 2, Go deeper

Morning: See the Kunsthaus Graz. The biomorphic 'friendly alien' art museum, with rotating contemporary exhibitions.

Afternoon: Explore Schlossberg, The wooded hill over the city with the Uhrturm clock tower, tunnels and terraced restaurants.

Evening: Eat at Kaiser-Josef-Platz market. Styria's best produce market, with pumpkin-seed oil, cheeses and morning wine stands.

Day 3, Hidden side

Morning: Visit Schloss Eggenberg. A UNESCO-listed palace where architecture encodes the calendar, with peacocks in the park.

Afternoon: Explore Lend & Gries, The creative west bank with Kunsthaus, Lendplatz market, ethnic food and the best bars.

Evening: The Double Spiral Staircase in the Burg, a 1499 stone illusion.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Best neighbourhoods

Altstadt: The UNESCO core of arcaded courtyards, Hauptplatz, the Landhaus and narrow shopping lanes.
Schlossberg: The wooded hill over the city with the Uhrturm clock tower, tunnels and terraced restaurants.
Lend & Gries: The creative west bank with Kunsthaus, Lendplatz market, ethnic food and the best bars.
Jakomini & St Leonhard: Student districts of cheap eats, cafés and the university quarter.

Must-do experiences

Ride up the Schlossberg: Take the funicular or the Schlossbergbahn lift up to the Uhrturm clock tower for the classic red-roof view.
Explore the Landhaushof: A Renaissance arcaded courtyard that would look at home in Florence, next to the world's largest historic armoury.
See the Kunsthaus Graz: The biomorphic 'friendly alien' art museum, with rotating contemporary exhibitions.
Eat at Kaiser-Josef-Platz market: Styria's best produce market, with pumpkin-seed oil, cheeses and morning wine stands.
Visit Schloss Eggenberg: A UNESCO-listed palace where architecture encodes the calendar, with peacocks in the park.

Hidden gems

The Double Spiral Staircase in the Burg, a 1499 stone illusion.
The Murinsel, an artificial island-café floating mid-river.
The Styrian wine road around Leibnitz, an hour south by car.
The Zeughaus armoury, with 32,000 pieces of preserved 17th-century weaponry.

Daily budget

$110 to $220 USD per day.

What to eat

Steirisches Backhendl, Styrian fried chicken with pumpkin-seed oil salad
Käferbohnensalat, scarlet runner bean salad
Sturm and Schilcher rosé from the Styrian wine roads
Pumpkin-seed oil over vanilla ice cream, which works better than it sounds

Getting around

The old town is pedestrianised and walkable, with trams running free inside the central Altstadt zone. The Schlossbergbahn funicular and the Schlossberglift handle the hill climb. Graz Airport is 20 minutes by train or bus. Vienna is two and a half hours by train, Ljubljana about three hours, and Slovenia's border is an hour by car.

Safety

Graz is very safe with low crime rates, even at night in the centre. Standard care applies around the main station after dark and on busy tram lines. The Schlossberg's 260 steps are steep and unlit in places at night, so use the funicular after dark. Cyclists use the Mur riverside paths at speed.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Graz?

Two days covers the Schlossberg, the UNESCO old town courtyards, the Zeughaus armoury and Kunsthaus, plus a proper Styrian dinner. A third day adds Schloss Eggenberg and a trip out to the southern Styrian wine roads.

Is Graz worth visiting?

Yes. It has Austria's best-preserved old town, a distinctive food culture built on Styrian produce, and a young, affordable atmosphere. It's noticeably cheaper and calmer than Vienna or Salzburg while still feeling like a real city rather than a museum.

Is Graz expensive?

Cheaper than Vienna and much cheaper than Salzburg: budget $110 to $220 a day. Hotels typically run $80 to $150, mains $15 to $25 and the Schlossbergbahn about $3. Trams within the central zone are free, and market lunches are excellent value.

What is Graz famous for?

Its UNESCO World Heritage old town, the Uhrturm clock tower on the Schlossberg, the world's largest historic armoury, the Kunsthaus 'friendly alien' and Styrian pumpkin-seed oil. It's also a UNESCO City of Design.

How do you get from Vienna to Graz?

Railjet trains run hourly from Vienna Hauptbahnhof to Graz Hauptbahnhof in about two and a half hours, with advance fares from roughly $20. Graz Airport also has connections to Frankfurt, Munich and several holiday routes.

When is the best time to visit Graz?

May to June and September to October for warm weather, terrace season and the Styrian harvest. Late September brings Sturm, the young wine. The Advent markets in December are among Austria's prettiest, spread across several squares.

Is Graz good for solo travellers?

Yes. It's safe, walkable and full of students, so bars and cafés are relaxed for solo visitors and English is widely spoken. The Schlossberg, markets and free-zone trams make it easy to fill days independently and cheaply.

Tours and activities in Graz | Graz in 3 days | Graz in 5 days | Graz in 7 days