Graz

Graz, Austria's city of old-world charm 

Located in the south of the country, close to Slovenia and Italy, Graz has always been a crossroads between Central Europe and the Mediterranean world. When the Habsburgs settled in Graz during the Renaissance, they brought Italian architects with them. Thanks to them, the city was adorned with elegant arcades, hidden inner courtyards and that Mediterranean touch that still lingers today.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old town is a little gem: red roofs, pastel facades, shaded galleries and lively squares.

But what makes Graz unique is its natural way of blending different eras. In just a few steps, you move from baroque palaces to the Kunsthaus, a contemporary art museum with an undulating silhouette, nicknamed the blue blob by the locals. A little further on, the city slowly rises and a staircase carved into the rock climbs to the Schlossberg, Graz's emblematic hill where theGraz Clock, an emblematic medieval tower dating back to the 13th century and famous for its inverted hands, is enthroned.

🎨 Graz is also a gourmet university town, home to independent bookshops, organic markets, ceramics workshops and festivals. In summer, you can picnic on the lawns of the Stadtpark or by the Mur, while in winter, you can warm up in a bohemian café with a hot chocolate in your hand.

🌿 By bike or on foot, Graz quickly opens up to the countryside: hills, vineyards, villages and orchards are part of everyday life. In just a few minutes, you'll be on your way to hiking trails, family-run farms or refuges far from the city. And all around, the Styrian region offers you exceptional local produce: apples, cheeses, pumpkins... not forgetting pumpkin seed oil and the fruity white wines so popular with the locals.

🍽️ Graz is Austria's capital of local good taste: farmers' markets, traditional taverns (the famous Buschenschank) where you can taste wine at the producer's, and restaurants committed to regional, seasonal, no-frills cuisine.

🚆 Easily accessible by night train from Zurich, far from mass tourism. Even more pleasant in spring or autumn, when the terraces slowly fill up and sunset makes the rooftops even redder.

So, are you ready to slow down and discover Austria in a different way? 🍇✨