Top 25 Must-Do Experiences in Graz

1. 1

   Climb the Schlossberg to the Clock Tower

   The Uhrturm is the symbol of Graz, and its hands are famously swapped: the long one shows the hours. Walk up the steps from Schlossbergplatz, or ride the funicular or the glass lift inside the hill.

2. 2

   Ride the slide inside the Schlossberg

   An enclosed slide spirals down through the old tunnels in the hill. It is one of the tallest underground slides anywhere and takes well under a minute.

3. 3

   Step inside the Kunsthaus

   The blue, bubble-shaped "Friendly Alien" by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier opened in 2003 and shows contemporary art. Its skin lights up after dark.

4. 4

   Cross the Murinsel

   Vito Acconci's steel-and-glass island floats in the middle of the Mur and links both banks. It houses a café and looks best at night.

5. 5

   Tour Schloss Eggenberg

   This Baroque palace on the western edge of the city is part of the Graz UNESCO World Heritage site. See the Planetary Room, then walk the park among the peacocks.

6. 6

   Visit the Landeszeughaus

   The Styrian Armoury is the largest preserved historic armoury in the world, with around 32,000 pieces of armour and weapons stacked over four floors.

7. 7

   People-watch on Hauptplatz

   The main square is framed by the town hall and pastel townhouses, with the Archduke Johann fountain and sausage stands in the middle.

8. 8

   Stroll Herrengasse and the Landhaus courtyard

   The main shopping street leads past the frescoed Painted House to the Landhaus, whose three-storey Renaissance arcades are among the finest north of the Alps.

9. 9

   See the Cathedral and the Mausoleum

   The late-Gothic cathedral stands next to the domed mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, one of the city's most striking skylines.

10. 10

    Walk the double spiral staircase

    In the Graz Burg, two stone staircases from around 1500 separate and rejoin at every floor. It is free to visit and takes five minutes.

11. 11

    Catch the Glockenspiel

    Three times a day, at 11:00, 15:00 and 18:00, a wooden couple in traditional dress dances to the bells above Glockenspielplatz.

12. 12

    Shop the farmers' market on Kaiser-Josef-Platz

    From Monday to Saturday mornings, farmers from the surrounding hills sell fruit, bread, cheese, flowers and pumpkin seed oil behind the opera house.

13. 13

    Explore the Lend district

    The west bank of the Mur is the creative quarter: independent shops, bars around Mariahilferplatz, and a second daily farmers' market on Lendplatz.

14. 14

    Taste your way through Styrian food

    Fried chicken, runner bean salad and dark green pumpkin seed oil are the local staples. A guided food tour is the quickest way to try them all.

15. 15

    Spend an afternoon in the Joanneum Quarter

    The Neue Galerie and the Natural History Museum share an underground entrance in the Joanneumsviertel, a short walk from Hauptplatz.

16. 16

    Relax in the Stadtpark

    The city park wraps around the eastern side of the old town, with old trees, a 19th-century fountain and a café at its edge.

17. 17

    Book an evening at the Opera

    The Graz Opera is the second-largest opera house in Austria. Tickets are far easier to get than in Vienna.

18. 18

    Take the tram to Mariatrost Basilica

    Tram line 1 ends below a twin-towered Baroque pilgrimage church on a hill, reached by a long flight of steps.

19. 19

    Walk around Hilmteich and into the Leechwald

    A small lake with rowing boats and a café opens onto forest paths, all within the city limits.

20. 20

    Hike or ride up the Schöckl

    Graz's local mountain rises to 1,445 metres. A cable car runs from St. Radegund, and the summit plateau has huts and wide views.

21. 21

    Step back in time at Stübing

    The Austrian Open-Air Museum north of Graz gathers historic farmhouses from every province in a wooded valley.

22. 22

    Drive the South Styrian Wine Road

    Under an hour south, steep vineyards run along the Slovenian border. Stop at a Buschenschank for cold plates and local Sauvignon Blanc.

23. 23

    Visit Riegersburg and the Zotter chocolate factory

    A castle on a volcanic rock and a bean-to-bar chocolate maker with a tasting tour sit side by side in eastern Styria.

24. 24

    Come for Advent

    From late November the old town fills with Christmas markets, and a nativity scene carved from ice stands in the Landhaus courtyard.

25. 25

    Time your trip for a festival

    Styriarte brings classical music in early summer, La Strada fills the streets with theatre in midsummer, and steirischer herbst presents contemporary art each autumn.

Bookable Experiences with Local Guides