My Visual Travel Experience: Graz

I visited Graz in the mid 1980s with my parents. I remember being fascinated by the charming Uhrturm (the Clock Tower), situated up on a hill overlooking the town. When I pronounced Uhrturm the German way, my mother laughed and said "Earthworm?". In 2008, I spent a week in Austria. I did a morning-evening trip from Vienna to Graz. The town is compact enough to cover on foot in one day, and I managed to see most of the town's sites. The old town is absolutely splendid and very well preserved, and I really enjoyed my day in Graz.

The Uhrturm

Graz is the capital of the Austrian province of Steirmark (or Styria), and it is the country’s second largest city after Vienna, with a population of 290,000. Dukes under the Babenberg rule made Graz an important commercial centre in the 12th century. Shortly afterwards, Graz came under the rule of the Habsburg Empire. In the 14th century, the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburg Empire started living in Graz, and from the city, they controlled Styria, Carinthia, Slovenia and parts of Northern Italy. Graz is an important educational hub. The University of Graz was established in 1585 by Karl II. It was closed in 1782 by Joseph II, in an attempt to tighten state control. In 1827, it was re-established as a university by Franz I. Today, it has over 30,000 students. In 1797, Napoleon’s army occupied Graz. The Austrian forces were defeated by Napoleon’s army in 1809 and following this defeat, the fortifications at Schlossberg in Graz were destroyed, leaving just the Uhrturm and the Glockenturm after the citizens paid money for their preservation.

The Uhrturm is Graz’s most recognizable structure. The clock-tower stands on  a hill called the Schlossberg, at a height of 473 meters. The hill has a public park, restaurants and cafes. There used to be a castle fortification on Schlossberg as far back as the 10th century. In the 16th century, a big fortress was built. The fortress was never conquered but it was demolished in the 19th century.  The Uhrturm (the clock-tower) and the Glockenturm (the bell-tower) were spared. The remains of the fortress were converted into a public park in 1839. The top of the hill is connected to the city by a funicular railway, and by steep paths and staircases.

The Uhrturm and the public park around it

The Glockenturm

One has splendid views of the town from the Uhrturm, and most of the old town's landmarks can be seen clearly.

View from the Uhrturm: The Dom and the Mausoleum

View from the Uhrturm: The Rathaus

View from the Uhrturm: The Landhaus

View from the Uhrturm: Mariahilferkirche

The Hauptplatz or main square lies in the heart of the old town and is its focal point. The Rathaus, or Town Hall, lies at one end of the Hauptplatz. It was completed in 1893. 

The Rathaus at Hauptplatz

In the centre of Hauptplatz, there’s the Statue of Erzherzog Johann (Archduke John), who was the grandson of Empress Maria Theresia. The statue is surrounded by allegorical statues of the rivers that flow through the region – the Mur, the Enns, the Drava and the Sann. 

Statue of Erzherzog Johann at Hauptplatz

Allegorical Statue of the River Enns

Allegorical Statue of the River Mur

Allegorical Statue of the River Sann

The Haus Am Luegg is another landmark on Hauptplatz, with its splendid architecture and Baroque façade. The building dates back to the 17th century.

Haus Am Luegg at Hauptplatz

The Landhaus houses the Styrian Parliament. It was built in the 16th century by an Italian architect. It has a renaissance style arcaded courtyard. The building has an ornate baroque interior and also has a chapel.

Landhaus

The Landeszeughaus houses the impressive collection of Styrian Armoury, with over 32,000 objects on display. The Landeszeughaus was built in the 17th century. Weapons were constantly required to fight off the Ottomans. During World War II, all the weapons were moved to three castles across Styria for safety, and they were moved back at the end of the war.

Weapons on display at Landeszeughaus

The Dom (the Cathedral) is dedicated to St Giles. It was built in the 15th century for Emperor Ferdinand III. The cathedral has Gothic frescoes depicting life after the plague. 

Dom

Statue of the Patron Saint of Graz, Dom

Next to the Dom lies the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II (1578 – 1637), built by him as a tomb for himself and his family.

Mausoleum

St Catherine's Altar, Mausoleum

Mariahilferkirche is another one of Graz's main churches. The church was built in 1611, but the two towers were added in 1742 and 1744. Right next to the church lies the cloister of the Minorite monastery. The monastery still has minority brothers residing in it. The complex also has the treasury chapel, which was built to keep offerings from pilgrims.

Mariahilferkirche

Austria offers a lot to travelers, and is one of my favourite countries in the world to visit. A lot of visitors to Austria end up going to just Vienna, Salzburg and perhaps Innsbruck, but if you have time on your hands, don't miss out on Graz. The whole experience of the old town, with the Hauptplatz and the Uhrturm, certainly make it worth the effort.