Main square of Graz

The main square is located in Graz’s Inner City, the city’s first district.It is branching out into Sporgasse, Herrrengasse, Schmiedgasse, Murgasse, and Sackstrasse.From here, Sporgasse, Herrengasse, Schmiedgasse, Murgasse, and Sackstraße begin.

All of the center’s principal streets lead from the main plaza, which serves as both a market place and the primary link in the construction of the city.The main square is shaped like a trapezoid; the city hall building takes up the entire broad southern side while the narrow side faces north.A sizable fountain, known in German as the Erzherzog-Johann-Brunnendenkmal, is in the middle of the plaza and is home to a monument honoring the Russian-born Archduke Johann Baptist of Austria.Near the entrance, his figure stands on a pedestal adorned with personifications of the four rivers of Central Europe: the Mura, the Drava, the Ens, and the Sava.

The Main Square was the hub of trade for the city for a long time, which is why most merchants chose to reside here.The homes on the plaza now comprise the most eclectic architectural ensemble, with elements of historicism, late Gothic, baroque, and Biedermeier.The Luegg-Haus (German: Luegg-Haus), which is situated at the intersection of the plaza and Sporgasse Street (German)bel, is one of the most notable of them.The house’s façade are lavishly embellished with 16th-century baroque stucco, which essentially “braids” the walls. Sinks are located above the windows in place of traditional cornices.Merchants used to showcase their wares on the building’s whole bottom floor, which is constructed as an arched gallery.The home now houses a Swarovski shop.

The 17th-century building on the other side of the plaza, on the corner of Franziskanergasse (Russian: Franziskanergasse), is notable for its two-story mural fresco that shows St. Christopher bearing the child Christ on his shoulders.

Nearly every building in the Main Square has a front with a similar ornate picture or sculpture, usually a statue of the Madonna in a niche.They lend an extra touch of historical beauty to the square’s look, given their varying formation dates, which range from the 16th to the 20th century.Built in the sixteenth century, the old Styurch Palace (German)bel (Palais Stürgkh) has a Madonna niche on its front.Sadly, not much of the original structure is now standing; one example is a doorway covered with coats of arms.The building now has a beer hall and cellar.

Via the plaza runs a tram line system.

Duke Ottakar III constructed the main plaza in Graz, which serves as the city’s marketplace, sometime before 1160.Therefore, he is the city’s most significant square both historically and urbanistically.Originally extending to what is now Landhausgasse, the trapezoidal main plaza of Graz formed the city’s historic core.It wasn’t until the town hall was reconstructed in the Renaissance style, about 1550, that the area was nearly cut in half.The architecture of the homes encircling the plaza is primarily late Gothic to medieval in style.The plaza is characterized by its facades, some of which include late historicist, Biedermeier, late Gothic, and Baroque designs.A testament to popular piety may be seen in the ornate plaster decorations and Virgin Mary sculptures seen in certain homes.

In the center of the area stood the Archduke Johann Fountain monument, built in 1878.The town hall’s 1887–1893 makeover added a “new monumental accent” to the main square.Originally standing at the intersection of Sackstraße and the main plaza, the Trinity Column was a gift from Emperor Leopold I in appreciation for the city’s ability to survive the epidemic.The column had to be moved to Karmeliterplatz due to the altered traffic condition.

The only other location in Graz that is serviced by all tram lines is Hauptplatz, aside from Jakominiplatz.Numerous kiosks surrounding the Archduke Johann Fountain provide the plaza its authentic medieval marketplace feel.These market stalls were custom-built by each operator sometime about 1990.Following political, commercial, and technical issues, they were phased out about 2002 at the city’s insistence and replaced with a standard model.They are provided at installation shafts, are hydraulically liftable wheels and supports make them transportable, and they are only relocated or taken down for really big events.Two of our own “night sausage stands” and other activities frequently take place in the space between the fountain and the town hall.

The city’s prohibition on the consumption of alcoholic drinks, which includes the main plaza, clearly does not extend to the use of guest gardens, transient or permanent sales stalls, or special events.

Long-standing drinking water well near the margin of the road to the left of the town hall gate was constructed during the 2001–2002 square makeover project using large-format reinforced concrete–granite composite panels.discarded.A stairwell led to a built-in restroom in the northern section.At the tram station, there are three shelters with benches for waiting and illuminated advertising space.Each of the two western shelters has a tiny stainless steel basin with a grid and a niche with a glass mirror.A tiny fountain with a push button was located on the right, while an outlet fitting for cold water was located on the left, behind the pool entrance.The sheet metal door broke off, the fixtures came free, stopped working, and were taken apart.The old free-standing cast-iron well also worked in the winter for decades because its valve, which was similar to an underground fire hydrant, was frost-proof. It had a sturdy pivoting lever that was about 25 centimeters long, and when it was firmly pressed, it shot a powerful jet of water downward toward the floor drain grate in about a second.The subsequent, exquisitely designed successor was removed after its useful life had ended since it was already blocked off during the winter months owing to the risk of frost.Ultimately, the pools were fully sealed with riveted aluminum checker plates in August 2013.Thus, there is no longer any freely available drinking and washing water on the square’s surface, following decades of year-round and a few years half-yearly availability.

The main bridge, now known as the Archduke Johann Bridge, was enlarged in the early 1960s to allow motor traffic to pass via a Murgasse that would connect the main plaza with Herrengasse.It was at that point that a reconsideration was necessary in order to keep the historic town’s unique identity intact.

Cycling is permitted in the now-pedestrian Hochplatz area, with the exception of event closures. While there is a bicycle parking facility in front of the town hall on the right, there is also occasionally a high concentration of people there.The steep Sporgasse is open for cycling all day, while the Herrengasse is only accessible by bicycle from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.Here, there is still some cycling; drivers run the danger of receiving a ticket.Like the Franziskanergasse, the Pomeranzengasse is overbuilt on the plaza and is the smallest connected street, making it vulnerable to pollution.Schmiedgasse starts in the middle of the town hall and house number three, and on weekdays it is available for passage. A taxi rank is located here.Cycling is not subject to the area’s one-way laws.

Archaeological digs were conducted in front of the town hall prior to the 2001 makeover.In front of house number 3, a last lamp post with a castiron base in the shape of a cone was removed, and multiple luminaires with upward-pointing spotlights and overlaying Bartenberg facet mirrors were placed.There is a groundwater sample location south of the Archduke Johann Fountain, and a shaft to the southwest can be used to remove the trunk of a May or Christmas tree.The square’s northern side has an underground restroom.During World War II, tunnels were constructed in the neighboring Schlossberg, and shelters were built.For event planners and transportable market booths, there are several installation shafts accessible beneath little stone slabs with connections for waste water, power, and water.

A well-liked gathering spot, the plaza in front of the clock store has been home to the Weikhard clock since 1930. From a distance, one can see the clock atop the town hall, which is also lit from the interior.

• Graz town hall – The Renaissance structure from 1550 was rebuilt at the start of the 19th century with a classicist structure.The town hall underwent a transformation that gave rise to its current configuration between 1889 and 1893, using a late historicist facade design.The Graz municipal government is housed at the town hall.
• Weiss house – In 1710, the Weißsche house was constructed. It is comprised of a massive five-story structure including an interior courtyard. The sheet metal gates and wrought-iron skylight grille on the basket arch stone entryway keep it closed. A sandstone relief of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus from the year of building is located on the front side with massive pilasters.
• Adler pharmacy –The 16th-century mansion is located at the intersection of Neue-Welt-Gasse and Hauptplatz. A 17th-century polygonal corner bay window supported by columns dominates the front façade. The front has an eagle sculpture with the house’s coat of arms (1535). The wrought-iron skylight grille and tin-plated gate leaves adorn the arched stone gate (1778). The first level is home to the Adler pharmacy.
  
• Citizens’ home to the great Christoph – Located at the intersection of Franziskanergasse and Hauptplatz, the house is a 17th-century building.There are two rectangular bay windows set in the front facade, supported by corbels.P. Scholz painted the façade fresco, which features a picture of St. Christopher, and is encircled by a plaster frame composed of straps and flora.The 1975 sandstone sculpture of the Virgin Mary features a plait adornment and is fashioned in the style of Lucas Cranach.
• Luegg house –The baroque-styled building core of the Luegg-Haus, located on the intersection of Hauptplatz and Sporgasse, was constructed in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. The arched arcade around the building and the ornate stucco ornamentation on the exterior, which are styled after Domenico Boscho, are particularly noteworthy.
  
• Former Lambrechterhof –Above a historic courtyard, a residential, office, and commercial structure currently stands where the monks from the Benedictine abbey of St. Lambrecht had resided in opulent quarters. The front structure, which has a hipped roof and a baroque stucco facade and is visible from the main plaza, was given its current form between 1660–1670. The plasterer Matteo Camin, who also worked in St. Lambrecht, is credited with creating the baroque tail embellishment. In 1570–1590, the courtyard side tract had renovations that included the incorporation of medieval building elements and included an open stairway, loggia, and arcades. With its refurbishment in 2022 and its 1994 exposure of the faux architectural graffiti, the Hauptplatz 17 courtyard, which is accessible from the next building, is now considered one of Graz’s most intriguing Renaissance courtyards from an art-historical perspective.
  
• Palais Sturgkh – The Stürgkh merchant family, who were knighted in 1532, were the initial owners of the mansion. The palace was constructed in a variety of architectural styles from the Medieval Ages to the 20th century. The Madonna is shown in a round-arched niche on the outside facade. Above the gateway, there are two coat of arms reliefs affixed to the left and right.
• Archduke Johann fountain monument – The fountain was created by Franz Pönninger and unveiled on September 8, 1878. It has an enormous bronze statue of Archduke Johann and allegorical representations of the four rivers, Mur, Enns, Drau, and Sann. Four corners surround the fountain basins. Bronze reliefs with allegorical designs adorn the bases. Originally, the fountain was supposed to be installed near the Iron Gate or in the Joanneum Garden.