Graz

Graz is Austria's second city, the capital of Styria, and it carries that identity proudly without trying to compete with Vienna. The historic Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, expanded in 2010 to include Eggenberg Palace. But here's the thing that makes Graz genuinely interesting: it doesn't just trade on medieval charm. The city was the European Capital of Culture in 2003 and became a UNESCO City of Design shortly after, which led to things like the Kunsthaus — a biomorphic, blue-paneled art museum locals call the "Friendly Alien" — sitting right next to Baroque palaces on the Mur riverbank.

Five universities and roughly 60,000 students give the city an unusually young energy for a place this steeped in imperial history. They fill the Lendplatz market on Saturday mornings, pack the bars in Gries on Friday nights, and keep rents and food prices meaningfully lower than Vienna. The city is also obsessed with food. It officially holds the title of Austria's "Genusshauptstadt" (Capital of Delight), and Styrian cuisine — built on pumpkin seed oil, Schilcher rosé wine, and produce from nearby farms — is genuinely worth traveling for.

Round up the bill or leave 5–10% at sit-down restaurants. Saying 'Stimmt so' (keep the change) when paying is perfectly normal and very common..

Café culture is serious business. Ordering a single coffee and sitting for two hours with a newspaper is not just tolerated — it's expected. Viennese-style coffee houses have been operating for over a century in Graz..

Greet people when entering small shops, bakeries, or restaurants. A quick 'Grüß Gott' or 'Servus' when you walk in and a 'Auf Wiedersehen' when you leave goes a long way with locals.. Pumpkin seed oil (Kürbiskernöl) is the defining Styrian ingredient.

It's dark green, nutty, and drizzled on everything from salads to ice cream. Don't confuse it with balsamic — it's not sweet.. Validate your tram or bus ticket before boarding, not after.

The system runs on trust, but inspectors do board and the on-the-spot fine is around €100.. Sundays are genuinely quiet. Most shops close.

Supermarkets shut. Plan grocery shopping for Saturday or weekday evenings.. At the Lendplatz and Kaiser Josef Markt farmers' markets, arrive early.

The best stuff — fresh eggs, regional cheeses, seasonal produce — goes quickly, especially on Saturday mornings.

Graz is one of the easier European cities to recommend on safety. Austria holds a US State Department Level 1 travel advisory as of April 2026, and Graz reflects that. Violent crime is uncommon. The streets, even in supposedly rougher areas like Gries, are overwhelmingly fine to walk at night. Petty theft — pick-pocketing at tram stops, unattended phones on café tables — is the realistic concern, not muggings.

A few practical notes: validate your public transport ticket every time (inspectors do check, and the fine is steep). Keep your bag zipped on trams, especially the #1 and #7 lines during rush hour. Areas around the Jakominiplatz bus terminal get a little scruffy late at night but aren't dangerous. Tap water is excellent — sourced from Alpine springs — so skip the bottled water and use the public fountains. Emergency number is 112 across the EU.

The Old Town is compact and almost entirely car-free. You can walk from the Schlossberg to the Kunsthaus to Hauptplatz in under 15 minutes. For anything beyond the center, Graz has a solid network of trams and buses run by Holding Graz. A single journey costs €3.15, a monthly pass runs around €64.80. The tram network is the backbone — lines 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 cover most places tourists care about.

The Schlossberg has both a funicular (Schlossbergbahn) and a free elevator through the tunnel system. The funicular costs a few euros extra but is worth it for the ride. Taxis start at €4.20 plus €2.41 per km. Cycling is popular and there are bike-share stations throughout the city. Graz Airport (GRZ) is small but received new British Airways service from London Gatwick in 2026 (Mon/Wed/Fri). Vienna Airport is about 2.5 hours by train via ÖBB, with frequent direct connections.