Name a city in Austria. Go ahead. Which one did you pick? Vienna? Innsbruck? Graz? If you picked that last one, kudos to you. I’m not sure many people in the United States have heard of Graz. And even if you have, it’s certainly not one of the first cities that comes to mind, which, honestly, is probably part of what makes Graz so great. Even in my hotel in the middle of what you might call the ‘tourist center’ of the city, I never overheard any other guests speaking English. It was almost always German, and occasionally a language I didn’t recognize, usually with eastern European tones. Which isn’t to say Americans don’t come here (I did encounter at least one American family as Schloss Eggenberg), but it’s escaped the rampant commercialism that the tourism industry inevitably undertakes once a location becomes popular with Americans. Graz, beautiful and historical and exciting, seems like more of a vacation destination for people who live in the neighboring countries: Germany, Slovenia, Czech Republic.

Downtown Graz is incredibly stunning. One of the most beautiful places I’ve been. The cobblestone streets aren’t haphazard, like many European cities, but neatly laid in geometric patterns. The buildings look straight out of a fairytale, the clocktower, which looks down upon the entire old city like a guardian angel, is classically german. The city is lively and upscale, with dozens of boutique stores and small businesses with fashions that seem stolen straight from Paris. The restaurants and bars are comfortable and lively and the food is delicious.

I didn’t do everything there was to do in Graz (not even close), but I did explore the Schlossberg, visit Eggenberg Palace, and complete the self-guided walking tour of historic Graz. All were great. The Graz Card is definitely worth it: the tram system is really easy to navigate and once you start, you’ll want to take it everywhere, and most of the major sights of Graz are free with the Graz Card (available in 24, 48, and 72 hour options). The Schlossberg museum doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s a well-organized exhibit with an awesome diorama of the Schlossberg. They use light extremely effectively to give you a dynamic, entertaining, and comprehensive understanding of the mountain and its history. Definitely worth the €4 (or, if you have the Graz Card, it’s free). Eggenberg Palace is another must-see. It’s beautiful, and walking around it you feel like you’ve walked onto the set of Merlin (or another medieval show of your choice). It features a great art exhibit, an archeological museum which I was unfortunately unable to visit (I ran out of time), beautiful gardens, and an antique coin collection. You can take a tour of all 24 state rooms. They’re beautiful, and I definitely recommend doing to tour because you do not want to miss out on seeing some of these rooms (the room featuring silk screens from Japan depicting Osaka before it was destroyed and nearly all artifacts related to it were wiped out, the planetary room with it’s immense, specialty paintings of the Eggenberg family as the planetary gods), but after a while, most of them do start to look alike, so be aware that some people might get bored during parts of the tour.

The Kunsthaus Graz (Graz Art House) is a fun and unique museum featuring dynamic art installations, and the nightlife is a lot of fun. There’s plenty to do, plenty to see, plenty of ice cream, coffee, bars, and high caliber restaurants. If you include excursions outside of Graz, you could stay busy for weeks here, visiting the Arnold Schwarzenegger museum, Stift Abbey, Mariatrost Basilica, and other nearby sights.

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July 5, 2022: Stepping Back in Time in Graz