DISCOVER GRAZ

Graz, with a population of 285,470 as of 2006, is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria. It has a long tradition as a student city, with six universities with over 40,000 students.

Graz's "Old Town" is one of the best-preserved city centers in Central Europe, and in 1999 was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. Graz was sole Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003.

The city is situated on the Mur river, in the southeast of Austria. It is approximately 2.5 hours south of Vienna by train or 2 hours by car. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.

The city itself is surrounded by low hills on 3 sides, thus making it predisposed to haze in the warmer months.


ATTRACTIONS AND CULTURE OF GRAZ

In the last few years some groundbreakingly modern new public buildings have been erected in the city. The most famous of these include the "Kunsthaus" (house of modern art) designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, a museum constructed right next to the river Mur, and the "Murinsel" (island in the Mur), an island made of steel, situated in the river.

It was designed by the American architect Vito Acconci and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS IN THE OLD TOWN

• Schlossberg - hill dominating the old town, site of demolished fortress, with views over Graz
• Uhrturm - clocktower, symbol of Graz, on the top of Schlossberg
• Neue Gallerie - museum of art
• Schlossbergbahn - funicular railway up the Schlossberg
• Landeszeughaus - armoury, largest of its kind in the world
• Schauspielhaus - principal theatre
• Dom - cathedral
• Mausoleum
• Rathaus - town hall
• Burg - castle, with gothic double staircase
• Gemaltes Haus - "painted house" in the Herrengasse
• Kunsthaus - museum of modern art
• Murinsel - artificial island in the Mur
• Buildings, courtyards and roofscape of the old town. Since 1999 the old town centre of Graz has been listed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS OUTSIDE THE OLD TOWN

• Schloss Eggenberg - palace on the western edge of Graz with State rooms and museum
• Basilika Mariatrost - late Baroque church, on the eastern edge of Graz
• Herz Jesu Kirche - largest church in Graz with the 3rd highest spire in Austria
• Calvary Hill - 17th century calvary and church
• Best viewpoints for vistas of the city: Ruine Gösting - hilltop castle ruins on northwestern edge of city; Plabutsch - behind Schloss Eggenberg with hilltop restaurant

MAIN ATTRACTIONS WITHIN THE GREATER GRAZ AREA

• Osterreichisches Freilichtmuseum Stubing - open-air museum containing old farmhouses/farm buildings from all over Austria reassembled in historic setting
• Lurgrotte - most extensive cave system in Austria
• Lipizzanergestut Piber - Lipizzaner stud where the famous white horses are bred
• Steirische Weinstrasse - winegrowing region south of Graz, also known as the "Styrian Tuscany"
• Thermenregion - spa region east of Graz
• Riegersburg - mighty fortress that was never taken, a bastion against historical Turkish invasions

During 2003 Graz held the title of "European Capital of Culture".

Many festivals take place throughout the year such as the "Styriarte", "Steirischer Herbst", "Jazz Sommer", "La Strada" or "Classics in the City". Some of these events can be visited for free.

TRANSPORTATION

An extensive public transportation network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing a tram network consisting of eight lines, two of which run from the train station to the old town before branching out. One-hour or 24-hour tickets can be bought on all modes of transport, while long-term tickets (e.g. weekly, monthly or yearly) must be bought at the train station or on Jakominiplatz. Tickets are valid on trams, buses, the Schlossberg funicular railway and on suburban rail services within zone 101 (which includes the airport). Furthermore there are seven nightbus routes, although these operate only at weekends and on evenings preceding public holidays.

From the train station, you can take regional trains to most of Styria. Direct trains also run to most major cities nearby including Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Maribor in Slovenia, Zagreb in Croatia, Prague in the Czech Republic and Budapest in Hungary. Trains for Vienna leave every hour.

Graz Airport is about 10 kilometres south of the city centre and has a railway station within walking distance. The main international destinations from Graz are Berlin, London, Oslo, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart and Dusseldorf.

GRAZ HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION

GRAZ TOURS AND TRAVEL