Graz

Descend the Schlossbergsteig staircase through cascading ivy and chestnut shade — the 260 stone steps drop you directly onto Sackstraße, the old town's narrowest and most atmospheric lane, lined with artisan shops in medieval townhouses. Turn right and you emerge into Hauptplatz, Graz's grand main square anchored by the Erzherzog-Johann-Brunnen fountain and ringed by pastel-painted baroque facades. Continue south along Herrengasse, the city's elegant main artery, and step through the archway at Landhausgasse 1 into the Landhaus courtyard — three storeys of Renaissance arcades surrounding a quiet stone courtyard, one of the finest examples of Italian Renaissance architecture north of the Alps.

Tip: The Landhaus courtyard is virtually empty before 11:00 and photographs beautifully with a wide-angle lens from the far corner — the symmetry of the triple-tiered arcades against the sky is as satisfying as anything in Tuscany. In summer, free classical concerts are held here on certain evenings; check the poster at the entrance. Skip the Rathaus interior; the exterior framed from Hauptplatz is all you need.

Walk one block east from Herrengasse along Stempfergasse — a 2-minute stroll past boutique storefronts. Frankowitsch is a Graz institution since 1932: a stand-up sandwich bar where office workers and professors queue elbow-to-elbow for exquisitely topped open-faced brötchen. The display case is a mosaic of smoked salmon rosettes, egg crowned with truffle cream, roast beef with horseradish, and seasonal vegetable arrangements on small rounds of bread. Order three or four pieces, grab a Pfiff (small draught beer), and eat standing at the marble counter like every Grazer on their lunch break.

Tip: The salmon-cream cheese brötchen (€2.80) and the egg-with-chive version (€2.50) are the signatures — order those plus one seasonal special. Arrive right at noon before the office-worker crush that peaks at 12:30. No reservations, no seating; this is a stand-and-eat affair, done in twenty minutes. If the queue snakes out the door, it still moves fast.

Walk west from Stempfergasse to the Hauptbrücke and cross the Mur — the 7-minute stroll along the riverbank reveals the Kunsthaus gradually, its bulging blue biomorphic skin looking increasingly alien against the baroque skyline behind it. Dubbed 'the Friendly Alien' when it opened in 2003 as part of Graz's European Capital of Culture year, the building's acrylic facade is studded with 930 light nozzles that turn it into a massive media screen after dark. Circle the building from the riverside to appreciate its full blobby silhouette, then shoot it from the Hauptbrücke with the Schlossberg clock tower framed directly above — Graz's most dramatic old-meets-new composition in a single frame.

Tip: The best exterior photo is from the middle of the Hauptbrücke facing west — you get the Kunsthaus blob with the Schlossberg and Uhrturm rising behind it. Early afternoon light (13:00–14:00) illuminates the blue skin evenly without harsh reflections. Don't pay for the interior unless you specifically follow contemporary art — the architecture is the exhibit.

Walk 150 metres south along the river promenade from the Kunsthaus — you will spot the Murinsel's twisted steel shell floating mid-river, connected to both banks by slender footbridges. Designed by New York artist Vito Acconci for the 2003 Capital of Culture programme, this seashell-shaped floating platform holds a tiny café and an open-air amphitheatre. Step onto the island, order an espresso, and sit in the bowl-shaped amphitheatre with the Mur rushing beneath your feet and the old town skyline to the east — one of Europe's most unusual café experiences, lasting only as long as your coffee.

Tip: Order a Melange (Viennese-style cappuccino, ~€3.50) and sit on the amphitheatre side facing upstream — the framing of the river, the bridges, and the Schlossberg hill is unexpectedly cinematic. The island sways perceptibly during spring high water, adding to the novelty. After your coffee, cross to the east bank and you are back in the old town within three minutes.

From the old town, walk 3 minutes south along Schmiedgasse to Belgiergasse — Der Steirer sits on a quiet side street with a handful of candlelit outdoor tables in summer. This is Graz's definitive showcase of Styrian cooking: the kitchen revolves around Kernöl, the region's dark-green pumpkin seed oil that appears as a glossy drizzle on salads, soups, and even vanilla ice cream. Start with the Kürbiscremesuppe (pumpkin cream soup, €6.50), then order the Backhendl — Styrian fried chicken in a shattering breadcrumb crust served with pumpkin seed oil potato salad (€16.90). Pair it with a glass of Schilcher, the bracingly dry rosé made from Blauer Wildbacher grapes grown only in western Styria.

Tip: Reserve for Friday or Saturday evening; weeknights you can walk in at 19:00 without trouble. Ask for a table in the vaulted interior if the night is cool — the stone ceiling and warm lighting make it feel like a Styrian farmhouse cellar. Budget €25–35 per person with wine. Avoid the tourist-facing restaurants lining Hauptplatz — they charge 30% more for half the flavour, and the schnitzel comes from a freezer.

Descend the Schlossbergsteig to Karmeliterplatz, then walk south through Sackstraße — Graz's most beautiful street, lined with Renaissance facades, stucco angels, and wrought-iron signs. At the bottom, turn right onto Herrengasse and enter the Landhaus courtyard, a three-story arcaded loggia built in the 1550s by Italian architect Domenico dell'Allio. It is the finest Italian Renaissance courtyard north of the Alps, so perfectly proportioned it feels like stepping into a Veronese palazzo.

Tip: The courtyard is free to enter and nearly empty before 11:00. Stand dead center on the ground floor for a symmetrical photo capturing all three arcade levels. In summer, check the poster at the entrance — classical concerts are held here on selected evenings, and the acoustics in this stone courtyard are extraordinary.

Exit the Landhaus onto Herrengasse, walk 2 minutes north and turn left into Stempfergasse — a quiet lane most tourists walk past. Frankowitsch has served Brötchen (open-face sandwiches) at its marble counter since 1932: no menu, you point at the glass display and staff plate your picks. The smoked salmon with horseradish cream and the egg-truffle Brötchen are signatures — three pieces with a glass of Styrian Welschriesling costs about €12.

Tip: Arrive before 12:15 — the best selections vanish by 12:30 and the counter gets three-deep. A glass of chilled Styrian white wine with your Brötchen is the local power-lunch move. The shop also sells gourmet provisions — oils, preserves, vinegars — if you want to browse after eating.

Walk east along Herrengasse for 5 minutes, then turn right into Burggasse toward the cathedral's Gothic spire. Before entering, find the Landplagenbild on the exterior south wall — a 1485 painting depicting three simultaneous plagues (locusts, Ottomans, pestilence) in a single scene, one of the most unusual medieval artworks in Austria. Inside the cathedral the vaulted nave is austere and powerful; next door, the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, designed by Pietro de Pomis, contains an oval dome with swirling Mannerist frescoes that are the most ornate interior in Graz.

Tip: The Mausoleum is more visually stunning than the cathedral — do not skip it for time. Stand directly beneath the oval dome and look straight up: the frescoes spiral upward in a way that makes the room feel like it is rotating. The cathedral is free; the €6 covers the Mausoleum entrance.

Exit the cathedral's north door and walk 2 minutes through Burggasse into the courtyard of the Grazer Burg — the former imperial castle that most visitors walk past without a glance. Inside, the double spiral staircase from 1499 is a Gothic riddle: two independent spirals intertwine, meeting at each landing and separating again — a medieval symbol of union and parting. It is one of only three surviving examples in Europe and, thanks to its hidden location, the least crowded.

Tip: Walk through the Burg's main archway and look immediately left — the staircase is tucked behind a modest doorway that gives no hint of what is inside. Climb the left spiral up, then descend the right one to experience both paths. You will almost certainly have it entirely to yourself, even in July.

Walk 5 minutes west from the Burg through Hofgasse, across Hauptplatz, and one block south into Belgiergasse. Der Steirer is the definitive Styrian kitchen, where pumpkin seed oil is treated with the reverence Tuscans reserve for their olive oil. Start with the Käferbohnensalat — giant runner beans with dark-green Kernöl (€8) — then the Backhendlsalat, crispy fried chicken on dressed greens (€16); budget €25-30 per person.

Tip: Reserve for 19:00 — by 19:30 on weekends every table is taken. Ask for the courtyard in summer. Whatever you do, avoid the restaurants lining Hauptplatz directly: they charge tourist prices for mediocre food and exist solely on foot traffic. Der Steirer, one street south, is where Graz locals actually spend their Friday evenings.