These Things You Must Do In Graz, Austria

We loved my stay in beautiful Graz. It’s the second largest city in Austria, with a population that’s ten times that of another beautiful Austrian city, Feldkirch that my sis and I visited last October. It used to be a centre of commerce in the Middle Ages, with architecture still reminiscent of times past, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So here’s Graz through my eyes a beautiful baker’s dozen that we saw in less than two days. Or you could just call it a plain ole top list of things to see in Graz, Austria, because we did see a lot more, but ask us what’s top on our list of must dos in Graz. Let find out These Things You Must Do In Graz, Austria below.

These Things You Must Do In Graz, Austria

Rathaus Or Town Hall

The Rathaus or Town Hall in the middle of the Hauptplatz is the centre of the town’s activities. The large square has people sitting around a fountain enjoying chats and smokes; some just spending time and some waiting for someone. There are stalls where we buy food and drinks, and there are stalls selling memoirs and trinkets.
There are buskers playing instruments and there are children playing games. People pass through on daily business while tourists take pics. All the while the Austrian flag waves gently in the breeze, so different from the hustle and bustle of Jakominiplatz.

LandhausHof Of Landhaus Courtyard

In 1557, the Italian architect Domenico dell’Allio constructed the main wing of the Styrian parliament house in the the Renaissance Lombard style. Located on Herrengasse 16, the three storey Landhaus building has an impressive Hof or courtyard. It’s decorated with a Baroque furnishings, copper gargoyles and a bronze fountain.
The courtyard is a wonder to look at, frequented by many tourists and many events are held here. We took pics of the walls, the courtyard, and the fountain. Even took a few of the statue that reminded us of Mister Tumnus, the faun from the Chronicles of Narnia. My favorite pic though, was of the fountain with shells. I couldn’t find out the name of the fountain.

Walking Through Old Town Graz

Walking down the street in Graz, you see a mix of old and new buildings, most of which are no taller than two stories. And walking around some parts of Graz you finally see what no traffic means.
Back home, even in zones where vehicles are not allowed’ you’ll always find some sign of cars, bikes or ricks. But this, this was good and peaceful. The only thing going down the road was the tram, and of course people. I bet Graz will soon be on the list of top travel destinations to visit in 2019.

Bridges On The River Mur

There are so many bridges in Graz, and the all go over the river Mur. The Mur rises in the Austrian Alps in Hohe Tauern and flows through Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary. We crossed one of the bridges a few times during our 2 days there. This one had a lot of lovelocks all along the length of the bridge. I loved this shot because we could see the next two bridges across the river as well.

Brettlejause At Buschenschank Schaar

Grammelschmalz and Brettlejause with friends at Buschenschank Schaar in Graz, Austria. If you’re wondering what Brettljause and Grammelschmalz is, click on the link above to reach that post. Although the Buschenschank is located a bit outside the city, it’s well worth the journey. We enjoyed a fine evening with friends we met while couchsurfing.
These two are an amazing couple, and we learnt a lot about each other while there, from food and wine to bicycles and travelling. If you plan on going a bit further South to explore the South Austrian wine region, my friend Lori has an amazing post on the Südsteiermark for you.

Schloss Eggenburg

This was the second place that we visited that was outside the city. We took a bus from Jakominiplatz and got there in about 30 minutes. The Schloss at the end of the long driveway reminded me of the old TV series Dynasty. The beautiful park gardens have peacocks roaming freely in them. They aren’t shy of humans either. The Schloss built in 1625 by the Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg represents the universe and time.