03Cities and regions

After the ice, the south

Graz and its hill

Come down from the ice into a city unlike the one you left. Graz is the capital of Styria and Austria’s second city. On 1 January 2026 the figure ranges from about 307,912 to 345,391 when secondary residences are counted. Its historic centre is described as among the best preserved in Central Europe and entered the World Heritage List in 1999. In 2010 the listing expanded to include Eggenberg Palace. Schlossberg is a hill in the city centre, 473 metres high, once a fortress site and now a public park overlooking the roofs. Eggenberg is the state’s foremost baroque complex, at 381 metres on the western edge of the city, reachable by tram. The city has four universities and four other higher-education institutions, with more than 63,000 students on 10 June 2023. The airport lies nine kilometres south of the centre. After days at altitude, a day here is for walking around the hill and palace — not for another climb. Let the Mur set the pace; the south rewards a slower circuit than the high road.

0–345,391

Population

0

Schlossberg elevation (m)

1999

Centre heritage since