Top 20 Things to See and Do in Old Town Graz, Graz, Austria

As the rising sun bathes Old Town Graz in a golden light, the city bells start to ring out the hour. Climbing the 260 steps to the top of the Schlossberg early in the morning to admire the views across the city is one of my favourite things to do in Graz. The terracotta rooftops stretch out before me. The friendly alien, as the city’s futuristic art gallery is known, catches the sunlight beneath a clear blue sky. It’s going to be a beautiful day. The perfect day for exploring Graz.

One of the most beautiful and best-preserved historic cities in Europe, the Old Town of Graz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city as a whole is the second largest in Austria. Named ‘European Capital of Culture’ in 2003 and a ‘UNESCO City of Design’ in 2011, Graz safeguards the past while looking to the future, and, with a reputation for being Austria’s culinary capital what more temptation do you need to visit.

The compact city centre is a delight to wander around on foot, so grab your camera and a comfy pair of shoes and follow this self-guided walking tour of Graz city centre highlights.

This circular walking route taking you around the top 20 sights in the Old Town of Graz is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long, but I’d recommend allowing a whole day so that you have plenty of time at each stop. You’ll find a map with the exact locations of each sight, as well as a few of my favourite restaurants at the end of this post. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).