Graz and Styria an amazing destination in the Austrian Alps

Graz city trip

Graz, the second city in Austria, is entirely different than I expected. Or, to be completely honest, I didn’t expect anything because I had never heard of it before an invitation to visit appeared in my inbox.

But when I started contemplating a visit, I assumed I would see Mädel in traditional costume, green meadows, Lederhosen, eat Apfelstrudel and Schnitzel. And in truth, I did, but I also found a place where traditions and the 21st century go hand in hand.

Graz is a university town with ancient and modern architecture, innovative gastronomy, convivial terraces, blood-curdling attractions, delicious locally-produced wine, and a generous dose of Gemütlichkeit.

Styria

Furthermore, Graz has the most important medieval centre in Central Europe, a prominent place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In 2003, Graz was the Cultural Capital of Europe and, in 2008, a City of Culinary Delights.

This makes it a perfect destination for a city trip. Visitors can fill their days simply by strolling through the medieval streets, sipping drinks on top of the Schlossberg, or, if they wish, discover the city and its surroundings by visiting a long list of places of interest.

Styria, or Steiermark in German, is the second-largest state of Austria. Graz is its capital. The region produces fantastic wine, has incredible nature and beautiful century-old attractions.

Graz will have something to their liking for sure, be it as a romantic getaway, as a group of friends or as a family.

Places of interest Graz and Styria region

Graz, the regional capital of the Styria region, has an impressive number of museums, sights and restaurants for a relatively small city, with only 290,000 inhabitants.The most important sites are listed below:

Styria: Graz surroundings

• Rein monastery
• Open air museum Stübing
• Sculpture park
• Lurgrotte
• Fort Rabenstein
• Scythe museum

Kunsthaus Graz

Peter Cook and Colin Fournier designed the iconic contemporary art museum on the banks of the River Mur. The building is also popularly referred to as the ‘friendly alien’.

Address: Lendkai 1, 8020 Graz.

Styria museums and places of interest

The Graz art museum is part of the Joanneum Universal Museum. This is a collaboration between 18 historical, cultural, art and architectural museums in and around Graz. The Joanneum Universal Museum is considered the largest of its kind in Central Europe, with around 4.9 million objects. With a combination ticket one can visit the various museums within 24 or 48 hours.

Stübing open-air museum

In a secluded river valley, between the steamy slopes of the nearby mountains, is the Stübing open-air museum. Around a hundred historic buildings (from 1452) make up the heritage collection.

A small school, a shop, the church and the homes vividly tell a story of a time when electricity and running water were unheard of. Between the ancient wooden buildings, one gets a sense of how difficult life must have been in this bygone era.

Address: Enzenbach 32, 8114 Stübing

Österreichischer Skulpturenpark

The sculpture garden in Graz has been named by The Guardian as one of the best sculpture parks in Europe. Although I do not share their enthusiasm I can see that it is a pleasant space to have a picnic or just to enjoy the greenery. And if you happen to be a Beatle fan or a hater,  you can indulge in a real ‘Yoko Ono’, as one of the artworks in the park is made by her.

Address: Thalerhofstraße 85, 8141 Premstätten.

Lurgrotte, the largest dripstone cave in Austria

The Lurgrotte is the largest dripstone cave in Austria. Although the caves were only ‘discovered’ in 1894 by the Italian cave scientist Max Brunello, they have been inhabited for much longer. Inhabitants till this day are bats. Cave bears lived there 50,000 years ago. Remains of Neaderthalers have also been found.

Brunello discovered the ‘great dome’, a huge hall with an area of ​​120 m by 80 m and a height of 40 m. This is one of the largest of its kind in Central Europe. Visitors follow a circular route of approximately two kilometres. A tour through these caves is not without risk. The water level in the cave can rise rapidly during heavy showers, thus running the risk of getting stuck. However, as visitors can only enter the cave under supervision, it is probably safe to assume that the tour leader checks the weather forecast in advance.

Fun fact: the caves are private property.

Address: Lurgrottenstrasse 1, 8102 Semriach.

Fort Rabenstein

Fort Rabenstein is another typical example where history and modern times go hand in hand. To enter the castle, take a glass elevator. The cabin rotates 180° whilst in movement. The height difference from top to bottom is 52 m.

Within the fort are several halls that one can rent for events, a bar and a museum, the Japaneum. As the name suggests, it is an exhibition of Japanese art.

The most spectacular part of the fort is a structure made of glass and steel. In this room, visitors have a spectacular view out over the surrounding valley.

Address: Adriach 41, 8130 Frohnleiten.

Historical forge

This traditional forge is something for lovers of old crafts. In the heyday of the forge, 60,000 scythes were produced and exported around the world.

The factory was and still is powered by six giant water wheels. The building is now a museum.

Address: Rudolf-Klug-Gasse 2, 8121 Deutschfeistritz.

Practical information

Transport

If you want to see the surroundings of Graz, your own transport is handy. You can reach Graz in three hours by train or Flixbus from Vienna. The city has its own airport. KLM, Easyjet, Vueling, Lufthansa, Eurowings and Austrian Airlines fly directly to Graz.

Alternatively, enjoy a private transfer between Munich Airport and Graz. Book ahead to take the stress out of airport commutes. Create more time for your trip, relax, and enjoy the views.

Hotel and Restaurants

Read this blog about the best hotels and restaurants in Graz

Disclaimer

This blog was written in collaboration with Captivate Media and Graz Tourism.

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