Graz in 5 days

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.

Day 1, Get oriented

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

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.

Eat: Steirisches Backhendl, Styrian fried chicken with pumpkin-seed oil salad

Day 2, Iconic sights

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

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.

Eat: Käferbohnensalat, scarlet runner bean salad

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

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

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.

Eat: Sturm and Schilcher rosé from the Styrian wine roads

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Jakomini & St Leonhard, Student districts of cheap eats, cafés and the university quarter.

Morning: The Murinsel, an artificial island-café floating mid-river.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Jakomini & St Leonhard, Student districts of cheap eats, cafés and the university quarter.

Evening: The Styrian wine road around Leibnitz, an hour south by car.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Pumpkin-seed oil over vanilla ice cream, which works better than it sounds

Day 5, Slow finish

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

Morning: The Zeughaus armoury, with 32,000 pieces of preserved 17th-century weaponry.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

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

Evening: Dinner at Steirisches Backhendl, Styrian fried chicken with pumpkin-seed oil salad, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Altstadt.

Eat: Steirisches Backhendl, Styrian fried chicken with pumpkin-seed oil salad

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.

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.

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