Styria
Graz
There are no direct flights, so reach Austria's second city by train from Vienna, base two nights between Hauptplatz and the Schlossberg, and walk the UNESCO old town.
Best length
2 nights
Airport
Graz (GRZ), ~10km south of the centre
Airport to centre
S-Bahn S5 ~12 min to Graz Hauptbahnhof; bus 630/631 or taxi
Best base
Innere Stadt around Hauptplatz for first-timers
In short
Graz at a glance
Graz is a two-night city, not a week: base yourself inside the UNESCO old town between Hauptplatz and the Schlossberg, walk almost everywhere, and treat it as a relaxed cultural stop on the Vienna–Slovenia rail line rather than a destination you fly to direct. There are no direct UK flights, so most visitors arrive by train from Vienna in under three hours or fly into Vienna and continue south.
The short version
- Two full days covers the old town, the Schlossberg, the Kunsthaus and one Styrian wine-country trip — Graz rewards slowness, not a packed list.
- Base yourself in the Innere Stadt around Hauptplatz so the Schlossberg, Herrengasse and the river are all on foot.
- There are no direct flights from the UK: fly to Vienna and take the ÖBB Railjet south, or connect via a hub like Frankfurt or Munich.
- Ride the Schlossberg funicular or lift up and walk the path down — the Uhrturm clock tower view is the one Graz photo everyone takes.
- Pair Graz with the South Styrian wine road (Südsteirische Weinstrasse) by car for a day, or with Vienna and Ljubljana on a rail loop.
Graz is the city most UK travellers skip and then wish they hadn’t — Austria’s relaxed second city, with a Renaissance old town intact enough to be UNESCO-listed, a forested hill you can ride or climb in the middle of it, and a contemporary-art streak that planted a blob of blue glass on the river. The mistake first-timers make is treating it like Vienna: it isn’t a grand imperial week, it’s a slow two-night stop that rewards walking the same arcaded lanes twice and lingering over a long lunch on the Lend side. Over-schedule it and you’ll wonder what the fuss was.
The other planning call is getting there. There are no dependable direct flights from the UK, so Graz almost always works as part of a rail trip — fly into Vienna, take the Railjet south, and either turn round or carry on to Slovenia. Below, the structured planning — where to base yourself in the old town, what’s worth your time, how the airport and trains work, and a realistic budget in pounds — picks up from here.
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Graz
Schlossberg and the Uhrturm
The Schlossberg is the forested hill rising over Graz's old town, crowned by the 16th-century Uhrturm clock tower — the city's emblem. You can climb the free zig-zag path, or take the funicular or the glass Schlossberglift up for around €2.90 a single ride. Best plan: ride up, enjoy the rooftop views, and walk the path down.
Schlossberg and Clock Tower
The hill itself is free — the Schlossberg is a public park, and the zig-zag Kriegssteig stairway from Schlossbergplatz (about 260 steps) costs nothing. You only pay to ride up: the Schlossbergbahn funicular runs on an ordinary Graz Linien zone 101 ticket (a 1-hour single is about €3.20), while the glass Schlossberglift cut through the rock is a separate €2.50 and Graz Linien tickets do not cover it. The Uhrturm clock tower at the top is the city emblem — viewed from outside only, free, and best photographed late afternoon when the old-town roofs below catch the light. Allow ninety minutes to two hours including the wander down.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Innere Stadt (old town)
££ mid-rangeThe walled Renaissance core between Hauptplatz, Herrengasse and the Schlossberg. Everything a first-timer wants is on foot from here, and the evening walks are quiet and safe. It is the priciest area, but in a two-night trip the time saved outweighs it.
Best for: First-timers, short stays, couples
Lend and Gries (west bank)
£ valueThe arty, multicultural side across the Mur around the Kunsthaus and the Lendplatz market. Independent cafes, design hotels and the city's best-value rooms, with the old town a five-minute walk over the Murinsel footbridge.
Best for: Food-led trips, value, repeat visitors
Around Graz Hauptbahnhof
£ valuePractical rather than charming: chain hotels by the station, handy if you are arriving late by train or catching an early onward connection. A 10-minute tram ride (lines 3, 6 or 7) from Hauptplatz, but you will not want to linger here in the evenings.
Best for: Rail connections, early departures, budget
St. Leonhard / university quarter
£ valueEast of the centre near the university, leafier and more local, with student bars and lower prices. Good if you want a quieter base and don't mind a 15-minute walk or short tram into the old town.
Best for: Quieter stays, longer trips, value
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Bahn S5 to Graz Hauptbahnhof | ~12 min | about €2.90 single | Simplest option; trains roughly hourly |
| City bus 630 / 631 to the centre | ~20-25 min | about €2.90 single | Useful when the S-Bahn timing doesn't suit |
| Taxi to the old town | ~15 min | usually €25-€35 | Good for late arrivals or with luggage |
When to go
Sweet spot: May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: warm enough to sit out on Hauptplatz and the Murinsel, comfortable for the Schlossberg climb, and timed for the late-summer Styrian grape harvest if you add a wine-road day.
Graz hosts the Steirischer Herbst arts festival in autumn and a well-regarded Advent market in December, both of which lift hotel demand and prices. July and August are warm and quieter than Vienna; deep winter is cold and grey, fine for the markets but not for the open-air old town. Spring and early autumn weekends are the value pick.
What it costs
There are no direct UK flights to Graz, so the realistic comparison is a UK return to Vienna (often £40-£120 off-peak booked ahead) plus an ÖBB Railjet south, or a one-stop fare via Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich from roughly £150-£260 return. Most UK travellers fly to Vienna and take the train.
Daily budget per person
Graz is noticeably cheaper than Vienna day to day, and the Lend side across the river is where the value rooms and the good-value lunches are. Eating on Hauptplatz itself is the easy way to overpay; walk a few streets towards Lendplatz instead.
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