Graz, Austria Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Where to Stay & What to Eat

We had never heard of Graz before we stopped there on the way to Croatia. That felt impossible once we arrived because it is Austria's second largest city and home to one of the largest UNESCO World Heritage Old Towns in Europe. Yet somehow, most visitors skip it in favor of Vienna and Salzburg. This Graz Austria travel guide covers the best things to do, where to stay, what to eat and everything we learned from two visits…

Graz dates back to the 12th century and grew into an important medieval trading city under the Habsburgs. Today it is the capital of Styria, where Renaissance courtyards, medieval streets and striking modern architecture all come together in one surprisingly walkable city.

We liked it so much on our first visit that we came back a week later with Dylan. That almost never happens. We usually try to see somewhere new on every road trip, but Graz had a few experiences we knew he needed to have, including what turned out to be the largest underground slide in Europe.

This Graz, Austria travel guide covers the best things to do, where to stay, what to eat and everything we learned from two visits, one very hot Airbnb disaster and a hotel that ended up shaping our entire trip.

We also did a full episode on Graz on the getAwayZ podcast. If you want to hear us talk through the whole city before your trip, give it a listen.

If you are driving through Austria, doing a road trip to Croatia or looking for a stop that is not on everyone else's itinerary, Graz is worth building your schedule around.

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Why Visit Graz?

If you're wondering whether to visit Graz, we'd say absolutely. It has all the history and charm people love about Salzburg and Vienna, but without the crowds. The UNESCO-listed Old Town is one of the largest and best preserved in Central Europe, yet you can still wander quiet streets, find a table at dinner and enjoy the city at your own pace.

What surprised us most was how much variety Graz packs into a relatively compact city. In one day you can explore medieval streets, ride the largest underground slide in Europe, visit one of Austria's strangest modern buildings and finish with an incredible Austrian meal. Add friendly locals, excellent food and easy access from Vienna, Slovenia or Croatia, and it's one of the most underrated stops we've made in Europe.

Here's why we think Graz is worth visiting:

• An easy road trip stop between Vienna, Slovenia and Croatia
• One of the largest UNESCO World Heritage Old Towns in Europe
• Austria's second largest city with a relaxed, local feel
• Ride the Schlossberg underground slide through historic tunnels
• See the famous Kunsthaus Graz, better known as the “Friendly Alien”
• Excellent Austrian food, wine and the famous Styrian pumpkin seed oil
• Far fewer tourists than Vienna or Salzburg

Best Things to Do in Graz

If you're short on time, these are the experiences we think are worth building your trip around.

1. Try authentic Wiener Schnitzel and Styrian pumpkin seed oil
2. Explore Graz's UNESCO-listed Old Town
3. Ride the Schlossberg underground slide
4. Visit the famous Clock Tower
5. See the “Friendly Alien” at Kunsthaus Graz
6. Walk across the Murinsel floating island
7. Take the Schöckl gondola into the mountains
8. Visit Europe's largest historic armory

Best Tours & Experiences in Graz

Whether you're looking for a guided walking tour, a food experience or a day trip into the Styrian countryside, these are some of the highest-rated experiences in and around Graz.

Table of Contents

1. Where to Stay in Graz
2. Schlossberg: The Clock Tower, the Movie and the Slide
3. The Church with Hitler and Mussolini in the Stained Glass
4. The Friendly Alien and the Murinsel
5. Schockl Mountain
6. Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum
7. The Largest Armory in Europe
8. What to Eat and Drink
9. Dog Friendly Graz
10. Know Before You Go
11. Planning More Austrian Travel
12. Frequently Asked Questions

Where to Stay in Graz

We were supposed to stay in an Airbnb. It was a cute apartment above a pharmacy with a pharmaceutical theme and interesting decorations. Then we walked in and it was 37 degrees Celsius inside. That is almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The portable AC unit was probably 12 years old and did not even have the hose going out the window, so it was just kicking hot air back into the room. Lisa and Rex were lying on the floor not moving when I got back from parking the car. It was not safe for the dog. It was barely safe for us.

We found the Grand Hotel Wiesler less than a block away and it ended up being one of the best hotel experiences we have had in Europe. It is right on the Mur River with gorgeous rooms that have a cool unfinished industrial vibe. One wall in Lisa's room was completely raw stone. The air conditioning actually worked and Lisa almost bought a sweater. The cocktails at the bar were excellent. The breakfast buffet was excellent. The whole thing was around 100 euros a night.

But the best part was the staff. The women at the front desk sat down with us and made a handwritten list of everything we should see and do. We followed it almost exactly and it shaped our entire experience of the city. I will say that is the best staff at a hotel I have ever experienced. That alone is a reason to book it.

If you are traveling with family, they have rooms with a separate bedroom and a full-size pullout couch. One thing to know: the showers in some rooms are glass and in the middle of the living area, not in a private bathroom. The toilet is closed off but the shower is not. So if you are sharing a room with someone who is not your partner, one of you is stepping out for a few minutes.

If you're planning a weekend in Graz, we'd stay near the Old Town again without hesitation. It puts almost everything in this guide within walking distance, and after our experience, we'd happily book the Grand Hotel Wiesler again. Looking for more hotel options? Here's our full guide to where to stay in Graz.

Schlossberg: The Clock Tower, the 4D Movie and the Slide

You can see the Schlossberg clock tower from anywhere in the city. It sits on top of a hill overlooking Graz Old Town and it is the first thing you notice when you arrive. You can walk up or take an elevator, and once you are at the top the views over the red rooftops and the river are worth the trip on their own.

The clock tower itself has a story. The fortress on the hill survived military attacks for centuries but it was dismantled after Napoleon defeated Austria. The people of Graz paid a ransom to save the clock tower and the bell tower from demolition. The citizens literally bought their own landmark back.

Here is the weird part: the hands on the clock are backwards. The large hand shows the hour and the small hand shows the minutes. Originally the clock only had a large hour hand that could be seen from far away. When they added the minute hand later, they made it smaller so it would not be confused with the original. So it looks wrong but it makes complete sense once you know why.

One of the oldest bells in the tower dates from 1385 and still marks the hours. Another bell was called the Poor Wretch's Bell because it once rang during executions. Later it earned the nickname Rogues Bell because it warned late night drinkers that curfew was approaching.

If you're only spending one day in Graz, the Schlossberg should be at the top of your list.

The 4D Movie

At the top of the Schlossberg there is a 4D movie experience that we thought would be a throwaway tourist thing. It was not. You sit in a chair that moves and there is wind in your face and you follow a fly through the city of Graz. It is about 10 minutes, it is well done and it shows you places and landmarks you might not get to on foot. We were impressed. Pro tip: if you are there in a heat wave, do not let the person next to you turn off the air conditioning. We had a woman who thought it was too cold. It was 37 degrees outside.

The Underground Slide

This is why we went back with Dylan. The Schlossberg contains repurposed wartime tunnels that stay between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius year round. One of the ways to get back down from the top is a slide that wraps around the elevator shaft inside the mountain. It is the largest underground slide in all of Europe.

You sit on a wool mat, put your bags between your feet and go. It is completely dark. It takes about 40 seconds and you are moving fast, maybe 35 kilometers an hour. It changes direction suddenly so you are jerking left and right without knowing which way is coming next. It is smooth though. Lisa was worried about her hips but said it was never jarring. It was just fast and dark and fun.

Two middle-aged women screaming in the dark inside a mountain. That is what the people at the bottom heard when we came out. We went back the following week specifically so Dylan could do it. There was no way we were going to tell him about the largest underground slide in Europe and not take him.

The woman at our hotel told us we had to do it. She was probably in her 30s and she was insistent. She was right.

The Church With Hitler and Mussolini Hidden in the Stained Glass

Nearly half of Graz's buildings were damaged or destroyed during Allied bombing between 1944 and 1945. A lot had to be rebuilt. One of the things that had to be repaired was the stained glass in a church in the city center called the Stadtpfarrkirche.

The artist Albert Birkle was commissioned to redesign the window. The subject is Christ carrying the cross to his crucifixion with multiple figures watching. In one panel, Hitler and Mussolini are depicted as Christ's tormentors, watching and tormenting him as he carries the cross. If you look closely at their faces, there is no question who they are.

It caused controversy when it was installed and it still does. The Nazis condemned it as degenerate art. It was one of the first things the hotel staff told us to go see and it was the first thing we did. It is one of the strangest and most powerful things we have seen in a church anywhere in Europe.

The Friendly Alien and the Murinsel

Kunsthaus Graz

The Kunsthaus Graz is a modern art museum and it is impossible to miss because it looks like a giant blue blob landed in the middle of the historic center. We thought it looked like a brain or a lung because of all the ventricles coming out of it. Locals call it the Friendly Alien. It was designed deliberately to contrast the red roofs and historical buildings around it. It sits right across the river from the Old Town and it could not be more modern if it tried.

We did not go inside but it is fascinating to walk around. At night, words scroll across the front of the building in lights. Between the blue blob and the medieval rooftops behind it, the contrast is something you do not see in many cities.

Murinsel

Right in front of the Kunsthaus, sitting in the middle of the Mur River, is the Murinsel. It is an artificial island designed as a floating steel shell that you can reach from either side of the river. There is a cafe inside and a small amphitheater. It was created for the European Capital of Culture in 2003 when Graz held the title. They were supposed to tear it down afterward but everyone loved it so it stayed. It is another one of those modern pieces that somehow works perfectly next to the old city. It looks great lit up at night.

Schockl Mountain

The hotel staff told us about this one too. Schockl is a mountain just outside the city with a gondola that takes you to the top. The ride is about eight minutes and dogs are allowed on the gondola. Rex did great. Cash did too on his first gondola ride, though every ride after that went downhill.

We are in the Alps here and the temperature dropped significantly by the time we got to the top. If you are visiting in summer and dying from the heat in the city, this alone is worth the trip. The views at the top look straight out of The Sound of Music. Green hills, open meadows, everything lush and quiet. You can see Graz in the distance but you are so far up that you have to know what you are looking at.

There are hiking trails at the top and you could easily spend a couple of hours up there. It is a completely different experience from the city and a nice break from cobblestones and museums. The ride down was much easier for those of us who are afraid of heights.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born just outside Graz in a town called Thal. The city claims him and there is a museum dedicated to him there. We did not visit but it is there if that is your thing. It is worth knowing about because when you tell people you went to Graz, about half of them will say “isn't that where Arnold is from?” Yes. Yes it is.

The Largest Armory in Europe

We walked past the Landeszeughaus (the Styrian Armory) on our way to the park and saw it on our bus tour. It is the largest historical armory in Europe with something like 32,000 pieces of arms and armor from the 15th to 18th centuries. If military history is your thing, this is apparently incredible. It was not really our thing so we did not go in, but we wanted to mention it because it is a major attraction and one of the things Graz is most known for.

What to Eat and Drink

Austrian and German food is hearty mountain food. Wiener schnitzel, roasted pork, potatoes, spaetzle. It is not Lisa's style but it is very much mine. I had wiener schnitzel at every meal at every stop. If you grew up on chicken fried steak like I did, you will feel right at home.

Gasthaus Zur Alten Presse

Right behind the Grand Hotel Wiesler. It felt like eating in a cabin in the woods except you are in the middle of the city. Big wooden booths, rustic interior, one guy running the whole place. The wiener schnitzel was excellent. Lisa had roast pork with spinach spaetzle. It was our first dinner in Graz and it set the tone perfectly. Not a service-forward restaurant but the food was great and the atmosphere was exactly what you want from an Austrian meal.

Kaiserschmarrn

These are ripped up pancakes served with fruit, syrup and ice cream. We first discovered them in the frozen section at Lidl during Austria week and Dylan was obsessed. In Graz there is a place called Kaiser that serves them fresh and they are one of the most comforting things we ate on the entire trip. If you have never tried Kaiserschmarrn, Graz is the place to start.

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

This is the food discovery we are still talking about. Pumpkin seed oil is a Styrian specialty and it is not like any oil you have used before. It is a super dark green, almost black, and the taste is deeply nutty like roasted salted pumpkin seeds. It does not taste like pumpkin at all. It tastes like the best version of the seeds.

It is a finishing oil, not a cooking oil. You drizzle it on salads, soups, risotto or vanilla ice cream. The ice cream version sounds strange but it is incredible. The combination of the cold vanilla with the warm nutty salty oil is something you will not stop thinking about. We bought a bottle in a boutique in Graz and the woman who sold it to us said she makes salad dressing by blending it with boiled potato so it sticks better. We use apple cider vinegar and the oil and it works perfectly.

We found it later in grocery stores in Croatia too so it may be more widely available than we realized. We brought a bottle home and it is now a permanent part of our kitchen.

Austrian Wine and Beer

Austria has really decent wine that does not get enough attention. The beer is famous and it is as good as you would expect. If you drink local wine and beer while you are there you will not be disappointed. We also had some excellent cocktails at the Grand Hotel Wiesler bar.

Dog Friendly Graz

Very easy. Rex was a superstar in both Graz and Salzburg. From the second we stepped out of the car, somebody had their hand on him practically the entire time. People love dogs here. The city is walkable with good paths along the river and a park about a 10-minute walk from our hotel that Lisa and Rex went to three times. Dogs are allowed on the Schockl gondola. It is one of the more dog friendly stops we have had in Austria.

Know Before You Go

Getting there: Graz is about 2 hours by train from Vienna and 3 hours from Salzburg. By car it is a natural stop on road trips heading south to Croatia or Slovenia. It is about 2.5 hours from Ljubljana and 3.5 hours from Zagreb.

How many days: One night is enough to see the Old Town, do the Schlossberg slide and have a great dinner. Two nights lets you add Schockl mountain and explore more of the food scene. We were glad we went back.

Best time to visit: Spring or fall. We went in the middle of a summer heat wave and it was brutal. Not all accommodation has proper air conditioning. If you go in summer, confirm AC before you book. The Schlossberg tunnels and the Schockl gondola are good ways to escape the heat.

Walkability: Very walkable. The Old Town is compact and most of the major sights are within walking distance of each other. We did a small bus tour on our first visit which helped us get our bearings and showed us neighborhoods beyond the Old Town.

Air conditioning: We cannot stress this enough. If you are visiting in summer, call ahead and confirm that the AC actually works. A listing saying “air conditioning” does not mean it will be 37 degrees when it is 37 degrees outside. This almost ruined our trip.

The Old Town: Graz's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest preserved old towns in Europe. It is the real deal. Spend time in there beyond just passing through.

Planning More Austrian Travel

If Graz has you thinking about exploring more of Austria, these guides will help you plan the rest of your trip. We've road-tripped across the country several times and these are some of our favorite destinations.

• Where to Stay in Graz: Our favorite neighborhoods and hotel recommendations for every budget.
• Where to Eat in Graz: The restaurants, cafés and local specialties we think are worth your time.
• Where to Stay in Salzburg: The best areas to stay, from the Old Town to quieter neighborhoods.
• Salzburg Travel Guide: Everything to see, do and eat in one of Austria's most beautiful cities.
• Innsbruck Travel Guide: Alpine views, mountain adventures and our favorite places around the Tyrolean capital.
• Where to Stay in Vienna: Hotel recommendations for every style of trip.
• Vienna Travel Guide: The best things to do, where to eat and how to make the most of your visit.

Driving to Croatia?

We originally discovered Graz while driving to Croatia, and it quickly became one of our favorite stops along the way. If you're continuing south after Austria, these guides will help you plan the rest of your road trip.

• Where to Stay in Dubrovnik: Hotel recommendations inside and outside the Old Town.
• Croatia Travel Guide: Everything you need to plan an unforgettable Croatia road trip.
• Split Travel Guide: Explore Diocletian's Palace, beautiful beaches and easy day trips.
• Dubrovnik Travel Guide: Walk the city walls and discover Croatia's most iconic destination.
• Where to Stay in Split: Our favorite areas and hotels for every type of traveler.

Even if you don't climb all the way to the top, walking through the streets below the Schlossberg gives you some of our favorite views in Graz.

Final Thoughts

We originally planned one night in Graz and almost skipped it entirely. Instead, we came back a week later with Dylan because we couldn't stop talking about it.

Between the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the Schlossberg slide, incredible food and one of the friendliest hotel staffs we've ever met, Graz ended up being one of the biggest surprises of our Croatia road trip.

If you're deciding whether Graz deserves a place on your Austria itinerary, we'd absolutely make the stop. We'd even choose an extra day here over another day in Vienna.

Graz Austria Travel Guide FAQ

Is Graz worth visiting?

Yes. It is the second biggest city in Austria with one of the largest UNESCO-listed old towns in Europe and almost nobody goes there. If you have already done Vienna and Salzburg or you want something completely different from the typical Austrian itinerary, Graz is worth the trip.

How many days do you need in Graz?

One to two nights. One night covers the Schlossberg, the Old Town and dinner. Two nights lets you add Schockl mountain and a second restaurant. We visited twice with one night each time and felt like we covered everything.

How do you get to Graz?

By train it is about 2 hours from Vienna and 3 hours from Salzburg. By car it is a natural stop on road trips heading south to Croatia or Slovenia. The city is about 2.5 hours from Ljubljana.

Is Graz dog friendly?

Very. The city is walkable with good paths along the river and parks nearby. Dogs are allowed on the Schockl mountain gondola. People in Graz love dogs and our dog was treated like a movie star.

What is the Schlossberg slide?

It is the largest underground slide in Europe, built inside the repurposed wartime tunnels of the Schlossberg hill. You ride a wool mat down in complete darkness for about 40 seconds. It is fast, smooth and one of the most fun things we did in Austria.

What is the Friendly Alien in Graz?

The Kunsthaus Graz is a modern art museum that looks like a giant blue blob. It was deliberately designed to contrast the historic buildings around it. Locals call it the Friendly Alien. It is one of the most photographed buildings in the city.

What food is Graz known for?

Styrian pumpkin seed oil is the regional specialty. It is a dark green finishing oil drizzled on salads, soups and vanilla ice cream. The city also has great wiener schnitzel, Kaiserschmarrn (ripped up pancakes with fruit and ice cream) and solid Austrian wine and beer.

What is the best time to visit Graz?

Spring or fall. Summer can be extremely hot and not all accommodation has reliable air conditioning. The Schlossberg tunnels stay cool year round and the Schockl mountain gondola offers relief from the heat.