Graz is the second-largest city in Austria, with a population of about 285,000. Some
40,000 of this population is made up of students, as Graz is home to no less than six
universities (four "standard" universities and two dedicated solely to applied sciences),
and is associated with names as illustrious as Johannes Kepler, Erwin Schrödinger and
Nikola Tesla. The roots of Graz can be traced back to Roman times, when a small fort
was built where the city centre is today; Slovenians later built a larger fortress in the same
place. The Slovenian name of the castle is Gradec, which means castle; the name Graz is
derived from this. Graz was first mentioned with its German name in 1128 when the
dukes of Babenberg turned the place into a commercial centre. During 15th century Graz
became the capital of inner Austria (refering to Styria,Carinthia and Carniola) under the
Habsburgs. As stated above, Graz has a rich history in education manifested by the
number of universities in the city. The first university was founded in 1585 (Karl-Franzens-
Universität). Due to its importance as a strategic position, Graz was often assaulted by
Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. The fortress located on the Schlossberg (the picture to
the right shows the clock tower, which is located on top of the hill) never fell to the Turks
(the only place in this region). During WWII Graz was part of Nazi Germany (along with rest
of Austria). At the end of the war Graz was surrendered to Soviet troops largely intact; the
historic old town was not seriously hit during Allied bombing raids on the city. In 2003
Graz was the Cultural Capital of Europe.
Graz is also known for the Magna Steyr (formerly called Steyr-Daimler-Puch) automobile
and truck manufacturing plant located there.
It is also the birthplace (in nearby Thal) of actor and California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger. Its UPC-Arena was renamed in Schwarzenegger's honor in 1997, but
was renamed again in 2005 following controversy over the governor's support of
California's death penalty.
The city is situated on the Mur river, in the south east of Austria. It is approximately 200 km southwest of Vienna or 2.5 hours by train / 2 hours by car. The nearest larger urban center is Maribor in Slovenia which is about 50 km away. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area
Due to its position south east of the Alps, Graz is shielded from the prevailing westerly
winds that bring weather fronts in from the North Atlantic to north western and central
Europe. Due to this factor the weather in Graz is Mediterranean influenced. Graz therefore
has more hours of sunshine per year than Vienna or Salzburg and also less wind or rain.
Graz lies in a basin that only opens to the south, causing the climate to be warmer than
would be expected at that latitude. Plants are found in Graz that normally grow much
further south. However, this milder, less windy climate is detrimental to the air quality in
Graz as it makes the city prone to smog in winter. The exhaust fumes of the around
120,000 cars driven into Graz every weekday by people living in the surrounding areas,
together with the car journeys made by the inhabitants of Graz itself, are the most
significant source of air pollution.
PLACE TO VISIT
The old town - was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 due to the
harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different
architectural styles. Being situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy
and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighbouring regions
and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the old town consists of over 1000
buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to Contemporary.
Schloßberg - literally means "castle mountain", which describes it exactly. It is a hill
topped by a castle, in the centre of the city of Graz, Austria. Among Graz's most famous
tourist attractions, the castle, never occupied until its partial demolition by Napoleonic
forces under the Peace of Schönbrunn of 1809, was once a place of refuge for Graz's
residents. It was turned into a public park on account of Ludwig von Welden in 1839.
The Landhaus - the building where the federal state parliament of Styria resides, a
palace in Lombardic style. It belongs to the most important examples of Renaissance
architecture in Austria and was built by the Italian architect Domenico dell'Allio between
1557 and 1565.
Dom (cathedral) - a rare monument of Gothic architecture. Once, there had been
many frescos on the outer walls, today, there are only few remains, like the
Landplagenbild ("picture of plagues") painted in 1485, presumably by Thomas von
Villach. The three plagues it depicts are locusts, pestilence and the invasion of the Turks,
all of them striking the town in 1480. It features the oldest painted view of Graz.
Mausoleum - of Emperor Ferdinand II next to the cathedral, the most important
building of Mannerism in Graz. It includes both the grave, where Ferdinand II and his wife
are buried, and a church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria.
Burg - with Gothic double staircase, built between 1438 and 1453 by Emperor
Frederick III because the old castle on the Schloßberg was too small and uncomfortable.
The Burg remained the residence of the Inner Austrian Court until 1619. Today, it serves
as residence of the government of Styria.
The Murinsel - in Graz, Austria, is actually not an island at all, but an artificial floating
platform in the middle of the Mur river This landmark of Graz was designed by New York
artist Vito Acconci on the occasion of Graz becoming the 2003 European Capital of
Culture. The building in the form of a giant sea shell measures 50m in length and 20m in
width. Two footbridges connect it with both banks of the Mur. The center of the platform
forms an amphitheatre. Below a twisted round dome there is a café and a playground.
The Murinsel is built for a maximum number of 350 visitors.
The baroque Mariatrost Basilica - on top of the Purberg hill in Graz-Mariatrost
is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites of Styria. The pilgrimage church prominently
stands at the top of Purberg hill (469 m) in the northeast of Graz. It can be reached using
the 216 steps of the Angelus stair. The Basilica is classified as a baroque building. Two
front towers (61 m) and a dome are the far visible characteristic attributes of this cross
dome church. It is inclosed by a former Pauline Fathers (1708–86) and later Franciscan
(1842–1996) monastery
The Herz-Jesu-Kirche - is the largest church in Graz, Austria. It was designed
down to the last detail by architect Georg Hauberrisser and constructed from 1881 to
1887. The church was designed in the neogothic style, with a large, high nave and under-
church. The tower is 109.6 meters tall, making it the third-highest church tower in Austria.
Of special note are the stained glass windows, which are some of the few extant
examples of neogothic glass art. The altar area was remodeled in 1988 by Gustav Troger,
just after the church's hundred-year anniversary. Except that, everything is still according to
the architect's conception.
Calvary Hill - in the Gösting area of Graz with a 17th century calvary and church.
LKH-Universitätsklinikum - is the biggest hospital of Graz, it is the largest Art
Nouveau building complex in Austria. It was built between 1904 and 1912. It is run by the
state.
Eggenberg Castle - Early Baroque architecture, lavish state rooms. There is a
small (€ 1.00) fee for entering the park surrounding the castle, which they likely will not
charge you if you say you intend to take the castle tour. The castle tour is highly
recommended though, as it contains dramatic wall and ceiling paintings, elaborate
ceramic stoves, and inlaid wood floors.
Kunsthaus - is Graz's newest exhibition place. It's worth a visit, even if you only look at
its design from the outside. It's right across the river from Hauptplatz at the Suedtirolerplatz
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Graz airport (IATA: GRZ), (Flughafen Graz - Thalerhof), less than 6 miles
south of the city center.
Scheduled flights operate to Graz from Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna,
Linz, Innsbruck, Zurich, London, Hannover, Gothenburg, Friedrichshafen, Girona.
Getting to the City is easy and inexpensive. The train station is located 300 meters from
the passenger terminal. Trains leave to Graz Hauptbahnhof (main station) roughly every
hour. Fare: 1,70 Euro. As an alternative Buses leave right in front of the passenger
terminal. The Bus will take you first to Jakominiplatz and then further to Hauptbahnhof.
Fare: €1,70. Of course you can also take a taxi (which is about €20 to the centre of the city)
or rent a car.
Nearby Airports are in Maribor, Klagenfurt and a little further away in Ljubljana, Zagreb and Vienna.
By train - The main station (Hauptbahnhof) is on the western edge of the city center, at
the end of the Annenstrasse. Graz has frequent connections to Vienna with direct trains
every other hour. Connections to Salzburg and most other Austrian Cities and Munich are
also reasonably frequent. Night trains serve destinations as far as Zurich, and there are
two direct daylight services each day to Zagreb. See OBB - Austrian Railways for
timetables. There are also less frequent services to Slovenia and Hungary. To reach the
old town, take tram line 3 or 6 (1 or 7 evenings and Sundays), or simply walk down
Annenstrasse for about 20 minutes and cross the bridge. You can obtain a map from the
Tourist Information in the Hauptbahnhof.
It is worth noting that the direct services from Vienna to Graz pass through the Semmering
Railway, a rail line listed in the UNESCO World Heritage due to its unique construction
involving 14 tunnels and 16 viaducts. Keep your eyes open! From Vienna to Graz, sit on
the left; from Graz to Vienna, sit on the right.
By car - The A9, runs north-south through Graz, mostly via the 6 mile long Plabutsch
tunnel. The A2, just south of the city, runs east-west. Vienna (Wien) is 127 miles (2hrs) up
the A2 to the east. A just as fast but much more scenic alternative route to Vienna is via
Bruck/Mur taking the S6. (Beware: The dual carriage way is unfinished for a few miles
between Graz and Bruck and there are lots of tunnels on the S6!!!) Some might also find
the 5-mile-long (single carriageway) Gleinalm (Toll) tunnel on the A9, 15 miles to the
north of Graz, unnerving. Toll charge: Gleinalm Tunnel: cars and motorhomes up to 3.5 t:
EUR 7.95 | with caravans/trailers: EUR 9.95 | Motorhomes over 3.5 t: EUR 11.50. It is
possible to avoid the tunnel by travelling on the rather longer route via Bruck an der Mur.
By bus - Graz does not have a dedicated bus terminal. Private and public operators all
operate from separate terminals:
* Postbus operates its terminal at Andreas-Hofer-Platz (City Bus 40, 67), with many
destinations throughout Styria but also further available.
* Bahnbus (Trainbus) operates from a terminal next to the Hauptbahnhof (Tram 3, 6, 14
as well as 1, 7 in the evening, City Buses 50, 52, 53, 58, 63, 85).
* Eurolines operates from the same terminal as the Bahnbus at Hautpbahnhof. They
offer reasonable cheap tickets to many destinations throughout Europe.
For travels to Austrian destinations check out http://busbahnbim.at , they will find you
routes with public buses, trains, and trams to your desired destination. (Although outside
of Styria it is limited to trains.)
