A bevy of universities give Austria's second-largest city its lively pace. Baroque palaces are a pleasant contrast with 16th-century courtyards and provocative modern buildings. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, teems with fine architecture, including the Burg castle complex, with its Gothic double staircase, and the graceful Uhrturm clock tower. A funicular takes visitors up the dramatic bluff. The River Mur dashes through the city, and thermal springs dot the surrounding countryside.
Restaurants in Graz
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Fine art from the 19th century to the present day, including works by Friedrich Amerling, Egon Schiele, Shirin Neshat, and a focus on Gunter Brus in the BRUSEUM.
4.5 based on 378 reviews
The world's largest preserved historical armoury displays some 32,000 objects from the 15th to 18th century.
We came in winter when access is by guided tour only. Luckily we happened to be there just in time for one. It was fantastic. Photos can't do the armoury justice. There is so much to be said about being there amounts the pieces, the smells of oils used to clean them. Amazing. Our guide was fantastic and very patient as we all tried on select samples of chain mail and wielded some replica swords. A must for anyone visiting Graz.
4.5 based on 68 reviews
The Joanneumsviertel houses the Neue Galerie Graz, Natural History Museum and the Steiermärkische Landesbibliothek.
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Folk Life Museum: “Everyday objects” tell us about social life, about human fates and needs through the ages.
4.5 based on 32 reviews
I wish we'd stopped here before heading to the Schlossberg. We'd have understood more about the fraught history of that place. We did learn a lot afterwards, however, by wandering through this splendid museum. There is something here for everyone, from the casual visitor seeking "impressions" to the serious history buff demanding "knowledge." The exhibitions were thoughtfully done to create interesting pathways to understanding about the complex past of this fine old city. The artifacts on display are diverse -- everything from a very detailed model of the fortress as it appeared before 1809 when Napoleon ordered its destruction, to the great variety of homely objects giving good insights into everyday life, to the very well-developed thematic presentations on sometimes controversial topics, with material objects that breathe life into them. As one example of the latter, we were fascinated by the grotesque "mask of shame" that illustrated one of the unsavory aspects of the theme "crime and punishment." As the interpretive sign explained, this crude metal face mask enforced social norms through public humiliation. "Defamatory offenses," like slander, were punished in this way. And there were worse punishments, all of them richly detailed here. I found it laudable that the museum treated so many controversial subjects in an objective, unvarnished, self-critical way, dealing with things as unsettling as anti-semitism, misogyny, religious intolerance, and political and economic oppression. How refreshing for a city museum to reveal the faults as well as the merits of the culture and society that it explains and interprets for both visitors and residents. I also liked the comparative approach aimed at showing how and why Graz evolved in ways different from places like, say, Salzburg. This greatly enhanced understanding by putting the Graz into context with others places undergoing their own social, economic and political development, and in so doing it broadened perspectives beyond a single city. When I left here, I felt intellectually enriched. The main exhibition is organized into 12 "blocks," each chronologically identified as representing a period of years. There are treasures all about: wonderful old paintings and engravings that show what life was like hundreds of years ago in Graz's main square, with the great fortress looming above; and unique objects, including a massive ceremonial sword from the early middle ages, adorned with 14 silver buckles wrapped around blue velvet covering the hilt and the sheath, its blade engraved with the names of all the city administers. The "magisterial sword" was handed down to Graz's leaders, first the judges and then the mayors once that office was introduced. I say "handed down," but it's beyond me how any single person could have lifted such an object, which is also way longer than I am tall. This official symbol of jurisdiction, going back to the early middle ages, is simply spectacular. Bottom line: There is much to see at this museum, and one could easily spend several hours here. If your time or your interest is more limited, it is still worth your while to come here, to take from the experience what is valuable to you personally. I don't think you will be disappointed, and I know you will be better prepared to get the most out of your visit to Graz. Highly Recommended.
4.5 based on 4 reviews
Interactive insights into the history of the earth and variety of species in Styria, with objects from in-house collections (botany & mycology, geology and paleontology, mineralogy, zoology.
4.0 based on 34 reviews
The History Museum presents the History of Styrian society from various perspectives from the high middle ages to the present.
4.0 based on 21 reviews
Reisen sie zurück in ihre kindheit und besuchen sie das grazer spielzeugmuseum, welches sich im herzen der grazer altstadt befindet. von alten autorennbahnen, über liebevoll eingerichtete puppenstuben, blechspielzeug sowie schauekelpferde bis hin zu puppentheater um 1830 gibt es bei uns zu entdecken. genießen sie nach dem besuch auch unser museumscafé mit gastgarten.
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