24 Hours in Graz: The Perfect Day

One day is enough to see the best of Graz, because the old town is small and everything on this route is within walking distance. The plan below starts on the hill, works through the old town before lunch, crosses the river in the afternoon and ends where the locals end their day. It works year-round; on a Monday, check museum opening days first, as many are closed.

8am: Breakfast on Hauptplatz

Start at a cafe on or near Hauptplatz, the main square, and watch the city wake up around the Archduke Johann fountain and the town hall. From Monday to Saturday you can instead have coffee among the stalls of the farmers' market on Kaiser-Josef-Platz, behind the opera house, where producers from the surrounding countryside sell fruit, bread, cheese and pumpkin seed oil in the mornings.

9am: Schlossberg and the Clock Tower

Go up the Schlossberg while it is cool and quiet. Take the roughly 260 steps from Schlossbergplatz if you want the exercise, or the funicular or the lift inside the rock if you do not. At the top, the Uhrturm clock tower gives the classic view over the red roofs of the old town. Walk on to the bell tower, the casemates and the Chinese pavilion, then come down on the eastern side or, for the fun of it, by the slide through the mountain.

10:30am: The Old Town

Walk down Sporgasse and into Herrengasse. Step into the Renaissance courtyard of the Landhaus, then visit the Landeszeughaus next door, an armoury with around 32,000 weapons and suits of armour stored as they were centuries ago. Be at Glockenspielplatz at 11am, when the carillon plays and two wooden figures dance in the gable. Afterwards climb to the cathedral, the mausoleum of Ferdinand II and the double spiral staircase in the Burg, all a few steps apart.

1pm: A Styrian Lunch

Have lunch at a restaurant that cooks Styrian food, such as Der Steirer or the Landhauskeller. Order Backhendl, the local fried chicken, with a salad dressed in dark green pumpkin seed oil, or a plate of Styrian tapas to try several dishes at once. A glass of Styrian white wine, Sauvignon Blanc or Welschriesling, goes with all of it.

2:30pm: Across the Mur

Cross the main bridge to the Kunsthaus, the blue Friendly Alien, for contemporary art and a look at the building itself, open Tuesday to Sunday. Walk out onto the Murinsel, the steel island in the river, then wander through the Lend district around Mariahilferplatz and Lendplatz, where the independent shops and cafes are. If you prefer history to modern art, take tram 1 to Schloss Eggenberg instead and walk in the palace park among the peacocks; the state rooms can be seen on guided tours from spring to autumn.

6pm: Sunset and Dinner

For sunset, go up to a rooftop: the Freiblick terrace on top of the Kastner & Öhler department store looks straight across the roofs to the Schlossberg, and Aiola Upstairs sits on the hill itself. Then stay in the old town for dinner. The lanes around Mehlplatz and Färberplatz, known as the Bermuda Triangle, hold dozens of restaurants and bars within a few steps of each other.

After Dark

Walk back through the illuminated old town and look up at the clock tower, lit above the city. End with a glass of wine in a bar or, in summer, at a table outside on one of the small squares.

Tips for a Single Day

• •Leave luggage at your hotel or in the lockers at the main station so you can walk freely.
• •Trams in the old town are free between Hauptplatz and Jakominiplatz and one stop beyond.
• •Reserve a table for dinner at weekends.
• •If it rains, swap the Schlossberg for the armoury and the Kunsthaus and go up the hill when it clears.

Staying longer? Follow our 3-day Graz itinerary.