I often bookmark interesting articles and tips for places I want to visit. I organise these into an itinerary to make sure I don’t miss anything. This article is my guide to spending a weekend in Graz, Austria.

I visited Graz at the end of summer 2019. There are convenient train connections from Prague so I travelled on Friday and returned on Sunday.

Graz is not as spread out as, say, Vienna, which means you can cover everything in a weekend on foot if you organise yourself well. I wanted to balance sightseeing with some local stuff and a little R&R. The result is the plan you see here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

(The map below contains a list of all the places mentioned in the article.)

Friday

I took the 4:41 pm train from Prague. The train is not an express one so I got there by about 11:00 pm what with a few delays and stops.

There are a few hotels around the station which is convenient because no one wants to traipse through an unfamiliar city at night with bags. I stayed at the Hotel Strasser which is 3 minutes away from the station. It’s comfortable and is well-priced for a weekend.

Saturday

Morning

Walk to Lendplatz which is close to the river. There’s a delightful farmers’ market on Saturday mornings. I didn’t need groceries but did want some homemade pumpkin-seed oil which is a speciality of Graz (Verdict: wow). I also spotted some excellent home made apple brandy which is divine.

Surrounded by all that food means it’s time for brunch. Right on the square you can find many good places. I found a great seat at Der Lenz im Lend. Their poached eggs are delicious. I treated myself to a glass of local Muskateller because it was brunch and I was on holiday so why not?

Refreshed, wander south along Mariahilferstrasse. It used to be a red-light district, but is now a pedestrian zone lined with offbeat design shops. I found some beautiful ideas for gifts in a few choice boutiques.

Turn left and saunter back north along the river. The raging river is the soundtrack to this part of the city. You should stop at the Murinsel which is a berthed coffee shop on the river. It’s all artificial and you can feel the place sway while you enjoy a cheesecake and coffee. If the weather’s good, you can enjoy this outside with the water cascading around you.

Afternoon 

Time for some medieval Teutonic architecture. Cross to the right bank and head towards Graz’ 13th century walls. In the Hauptplatz, the buildings are all bright pastel-coloured facades lined up in a row. I took my time to explore some of the side streets and the Stygian atmosphere.

The Landeszeughaus is the headline museum in Graz and is close to the Hauptplatz. It houses an armoury dating back to Napoleonic times. It was the actual store for armour and weaponry and all the items you see were never used in war. It is impressive to see how this great collection lasted this long still intact.

Evening

The area around the Hauptzplatz is full of restaurants. Depending on the weather many have seats outside which is a pleasant option. Afterwards head to the Bar Ernst Fuchs in the Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann. The cocktail list is sublime and they make one of the best Vesper Martinis I’ve had in a long time.

Sunday

I had my train back to Prague scheduled for the afternoon. Depending on your travel plans, you may have more – or less – time on your hands. Keep an eye on the clock!

Morning

The city is dead quiet with everything closed. It feels odd to walk through a ghost of what you saw the day before. Head to the Schlossberg, towering over the city. It’s the huge tree-lined hill that watches over Graz. You can get there by a funicular but masochists might prefer the winding staircases.

Napoleon besieged these walls. They’re a quiet park now with a view as far as the eye can see. The fortifications and the hanging gardens which they house are a pleasant way to spend the rest of your morning.

I had brunch at Aiola Upstairs which is in the middle of this park. The place is popular with a bustling young crowd and was packed. I had a Lillet Wildberry cocktail with my breakfast which was divine.

Afternoon

There was enough time to visit the Schloss Eggenberg on the other side of the city.  It is a huge Baroque UNESCO listed building that’s meant to show off the owner’s ego. I didn’t have time to see the gardens because I’d spent too much time brunching!

But what else are weekend breaks about?

Share this with someone you’d like to spend a weekend in Graz with!