Graz is the capital of the Austrian state of Styria and the second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. Graz is known as a college and university city. Its historic centre (Altstadt) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe.
Graz is situated on both sides of the river Mur in southeast Austria. It is about 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Vienna (Wien). The city is about 50 km from the border of Slovenia on the east and about 2-hr drive from Salzburg on the west. Graz is well connected via train to Vienna and Salzburg and also via highway to these cities and Villach in the south near the Italian border.
In the 14th century, Graz became the city of residence of the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburgs. The royalty lived in the Schlossberg castle and from there ruled Styria, Carinthia, most of today’s Slovenia, and parts of Italy. In the 16th century, the city’s design and planning were primarily controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists. One of the most famous buildings representative of this style is the Landhaus, designed by Domenico dell’Allio. The University of Graz was founded by Archduke Karl II in 1585, it is the city’s oldest university.
In 1999, the city’s historic centre was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and in 2010 the designation was expanded to include Eggenberg Palace on the western edge of the city. Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003 and became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008.
Astronomer Johannes Kepler lived in Graz for a short period beginning in 1594. He worked as district mathematician and taught at the Lutheran school, but still found time to study astronomy. Ludwig Boltzmann was Professor for Mathematical Physics from 1869 to 1890. During that time, Nikola Tesla studied electrical engineering at the Polytechnic in 1875. Nobel laureate Otto Loewi taught at the University of Graz from 1909 until 1938. Ivo Andrić, the 1961 Nobel Prize for Literature laureate obtained his doctorate at the University of Graz. Erwin Schrödinger was briefly chancellor of the University of Graz in 1936.
Watch the video of our walking tour of Graz below to learn more.
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