City of Graz | © Graz Tourismus | Harry Schiffer City of Graz | © Graz Tourismus | Harry Schiffer
Graz in the golden middle

THE GRAZ REGION, CULTURE And ENJOYMENT

Graz is a place with many strengths. Austria's second largest city bears the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site with its historic Old Town and Eggenberg Palace. At the same time, Graz is a UNESCO City of Design and an innovative economic hub. The surrounding area is rich in innovative business enterprises as well as nature and agriculture.

The Graz Region also scores as a university city and centre of education. With renowned research institutes and a wide range of further training opportunities plus universities and colleges, Graz is a strong location for the areas of research, education and training. As an economic hub it demonstrates the highest level of competence in the fields of mobility, human technology, tourism, energy, environmental technology and many other subject areas.

  • The big picture is made up of an exciting mix: world market leaders meet small and medium-sized companies; innovative start-ups meet traditional family businesses.
  • Internationally known and globally active companies such as the technology group Andritz AG, the AVL List GmbH as a specialist in the field of drive systems, Knapp AG as market leader in the field of warehouse logistics or Stölzle Glas have their headquarters in the Graz Region.
  • In addition, clusters such as the Human.Technology Cluster or the ACstyria mobility cluster and other network initiatives enable the best thematic networking opportunities.

Good to know: The city of Graz is also known internationally as the capital of culture and pleasure. Graz was named European Capital of Culture in 2003, followed by the title of UNESCO City of Design in 2011.  A dynamic creative scene alongside future-oriented companies ensures visionary projects within the creative industries.

THE GRAZ REGION, the GOLDEN MIDDLE of Steiermark

The Graz Region, with its location between the alpine north and delightful south, impresses with its diversity. In addition to an exciting working environment, the region offers a high standard of living. A wealth of leisure and local recreation opportunities plus an array of events – from sports to culture and cuisine – make this region an attractive centre of life. Key advantages of the economic and residential base are the well-developed transport infrastructure and Graz Airport with its international connections.

The recreation area that borders directly on the city and is also easily accessible by public transport and regional mobility options is equally valued in the Graz Region:

  • In the north and west the Graz Mountains that include the Schöckl and its cable car leading to the top and mountain pasture areas such as Almenland Nature Park with the Teichalm and Sommeralm, the Koralpe or the Packalpe provide natural spaces to relax.
  • The south and east, on the other hand, are rich in contrasts with their orchards and vineyards.

Day trips to the South Styrian Wine Road, the Apple Road or thermal baths such as Therme NOVA in Köflach or the Thermen- & Vulkanland southeast of Graz complete the offer.

Graz Old Town itself has many parks and inner courtyards. And you are spoilt for choice when it comes to buying local specialities here too, with numerous farmer's markets in the middle of the city but also in the towns and villages of the surrounding area.

Schöckl summit | © Robert Köberl | Robert Koeberl
Cyclists on the main square in Graz | © Steiermark Tourismus | Tom Lamm
Austrian Sculpture Park near Graz | © Graz Region | Mias Photoart

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

...Graz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and City of Design?

It’s clear to see that Graz was once the city of residence of the Habsburgs. In addition to the Old Town, Eggenberg Palace with its museums, gardens and historic park is also a World Heritage Site. If you cross the Mur from the Old Town, you end up in the Lendviertel around the futuristic Kunsthaus. Here you will find an unparalleled creative scene supplemented by welcoming little boutiques and bars.

Around 20 farmer’s markets invite you to buy delicacies from the region directly in the city. From homemade bread to fresh fruit and vegetables and numerous other delights such as runner beans or horseradish – a visit to a farmer's market in Graz caters to every taste.

The family business, founded in 1873 by Carl Kastner and Hermann Öhler and now in its fifth generation, enjoys international acclaim within the world of fashion. And it is not just the range of items that impresses here in the middle of the historic Old Town, but also the view from Cafe Freiblick on the top floor over the city’s rooftops.

In 1798 a stud farm for the breeding of horses was set up at Piber Castle, which used to be a monastery of St. Lambrecht’s Abbey. Nowadays Lipizzaners are mainly bred for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna here in Piber near Köflach – only about 40 minutes by car and 1 hour by public transport from Graz. The knowledge of Lipizzaner breeding was included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2016.

„The Kaiser-Josef-Market in Graz is one of the most beautiful places in the world for me.“
Lena Hoschek, Designer

WHAT MAKES THE GRAZ REGION SO SPECIAL

CLUSTER AND COMPETENCE CENTRES

Collaboration is very important in Graz with six cluster / cooperation networks and eight competence centres based here.

clusters and cooperation networks

SCHLOSSBERG GRAZ

Head up to the highest point in the city: the Schlossberg invites you to look out over the rooftops of Graz, take a stroll or enjoy cultural events. And the symbol of Graz, the clock tower, is located at the top of the Schlossberg too.

Schlossberg Graz

Universalmuseum Joanneum

The Universalmuseum Joanneum is one of the most impressive cultural institutions in Steiermark with around 5 million items across its collections. The 14 locations of the Universalmuseum Joanneum include the Joanneumsviertel, the History Museum, the Styrian Armoury and the historic Eggenberg Palace.

To the Joanneumsviertel

Capital of culture and pleasure Graz

DISCOVER THE GRAZ REGION AND MORE

The Graz region combines urban and southern flair, surrounded by mountains to the north and west, vineyards and orchards to the south and east. A harmonious composition that offers contrasts and surprises.

Kesselfallklamm Semriach | © TV Erlebnisregion Graz | Tom Lamm
Schöckl Trail Area
Hiking in Semriach | © TV Erlebnisregion Graz | Harry Schiffer
Bike break at the Mühlbacher hut | © TV Region Graz | Mias Photoart
more tours
© Graz Tourismus | Harry Schiffer
Therme NOVA Köflach | © Graz Region | Die Abbilderei
Almabtrieb Lipizzanergestüt Piber | © SHS Lipizzanergestüt Piber GöR | Sabrina Mallick | © SRS-Sabrina Mallick
Selfie-Spot in Graz | © Graz Tourismus | Harry Schiffer
Cycling in Graz | © Graz Tourismus | Tom Lamm
Austria's Capital of Delight
Cycling & rail as an ideal combination | © Steiermark Tourismus | Martin Kubanek

BRINGING EUROPE CLOSER TOGETHER: THE "NEW" SOUTHERN LINE

More Europe, fewer borders: the Southern Line with the Semmering Base Tunnel and Koralm Railway is one of the largest and most spectacular infrastructure projects of the present. 200 km of railway lines are being modernised and 170 newly built. Over 5,000 people are working on the project and a further 15,000 will be employed here in the future.

3.5 million people live in the catchment area of ​​the Southern Line which will provide fast connections between cities such as Vienna, Graz and Klagenfurt – adding great sustainable value for the people and living spaces along the route.

GATEWAY TO THE WORLD – GRAZ AIRPORT

Graz Airport (GRZ) is located about 10 km south of the city of Graz and can easily be reached by public transport:

  • The city bus takes passengers to the centre of Graz in about 20 minutes.
  • The train station is a five-minute walk from the terminal.

New: Graz is now a Eurowings base and has been offering even more regular services to/from Germany since February 2023!

The Lufthansa subsidiary now connects Graz with Berlin and Hamburg, meaning that together with the connections to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart, travellers from Graz can choose from up to 25 weekly frequencies to German city destinations.

Airport Graz | Flughafen Graz | © Flughafen Graz | Mario Gimpel

EVEN MORE INFORMATION

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