Old Town of Graz

The historic old town of Graz and its roofscape were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 due to their perfect state of preservation and the visibility of the architectural development in the old town, and they were expanded in 2010 to include “City of Graz – Historical Center and Eggenberg Palace.”This prize is related with the need to maintain historical heritage with its building ensemble that has grown since the Gothic period and to incorporate contemporary architecture harmoniously.The majority of Graz’s attractions are concentrated in the old town.This encompasses the whole inner-city district.Outside of the old town, there are several historical buildings, mostly in the districts of St. Leonhard (II.) and Geidorf (III.).

The Schloßberg, located in the city’s geographic center, operated as a stronghold from 1125 until 1809.The Schloßberg fortification was blown up after a successful resistance against Napoleon’s forces led by Colonel Franz Xaver Hackher zu Hart and the settlement of peace.The clock tower and bell tower were purchased by the residents of Graz, and both have survived to the current day.The transformation of the bare rock into a park began in 1839.Aside from the two towers, there are some remnants of the castle and listed structures from that era, such as the Thomas Chapel, the citizens’ and stable bastions, and the casemates (former dungeon).The Kriegssteig, the Schloßbergbahn, the lift, and various trails lead to the Schloßberg plateau and its monuments, not all of which have been discovered.There are tunnel systems many kilometers long in the mountain that served as shelters for air attacks and bombing raids during WWII.Part of it is now utilized for events (“Dom im Berg”) or as a fairytale train (“The Graz Fairytale Train”).Due to fire rules, the Mining and Industrial Railway Museum in Berg is presently closed to the public.

A trail and road network may be used to encircle and develop the Schloßberg.The trip begins with the outer Paulustor in the Paulustorgasse of the same name, the only remaining Renaissance fortified city gate erected by Domenico dell’Allio.The Palmburg, with its massive access ramp, is the next building towards the city center.The folklore museum and the unassuming Antoniuskirche are right next door.After more than 10,000 Protestant books were burned at its site in 1600, the hallowed structure was built between 1600 and 1602.This neighborhood is known as Paulustorvorstadt.

The entrance to the Sporgasse, a steep and narrow lane, is dominated by the Palais Saurau, with its huge gateway and the half-length figure of a Turk below the edge of the roof.The former inn “Zur goldenen Pate” with its unusual circular oriel, the former Augustinian hermit monastery and the Stiegenkirche, the home of the Teutonic Knights, and other characteristic town buildings with stores follow, before the lane leads to the main plaza.The Stiegenkirche, which is accessible via a stairway, was part of the Paulsburg, the city’s earliest defences.

Sackstrasse is a street that runs north from the main plaza.The “Hotel Erzherzog Johann” lies at the beginning of the street, followed by the department store Kastner & hler, the landscape pharmacy, Graz’s oldest pharmacy, the inn “Zum Roten Krebsen”, the Palais Kellersberg, the Widow’s Palace, and the Palais Attems, Herberstein, and Khuenburg.The Palais Attems, with its splendid façade, is “the most important aristocratic palace in Styria”, and the Admonterhof is adjacent to the back.The “Museum im Palais” is housed in the Palais Herberstein; the Graz City Museum and the Pharmacy Museum are housed in the Palais Khuenburg, the birthplace of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Habsburg crown who was slain in Sarajevo in 1914.The Reinerhof, Graz’s oldest recorded building, is right next door.

From Schloßbergplatz, one can view the Kriegssteig and the Schloßbergstollen, which go directly to Karmeliterplatz.The Trinity Church is across the street from the square.It is part of the School Nursing School’s building complex.Instead of a broken row of residences, Sackstraße runs onto Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai, a street that skirts the banks of the Mur.Graz’s Sackstrasse was initially divided among three “sacks,” or closed development zones.Three sack gates, which no longer exist, burst through the walls to obtain living space throughout time.For a long period, this was Graz’s most densely inhabited district.The Schloßbergbahn valley station and town homes are located on the quay, which leads into the bustling Wickenburggasse.The original bastion of the third sack gate is still visible.

The city’s crown is located at the foot of the Schloßberg.It comprises of four major buildings: the Gothic cathedral (Domkirche St. Gidius), the famous Mannerist mausoleum [60] with the integrated 17th-century St. Catherine’s Church, the former Jesuit University, and the Graz Castle.

Since 1786, the Graz Cathedral has served as the cathedral church of the diocese of Graz-Seckau and the parish church of the Graz cathedral parish.From 1577 to 1773, the holy edifice, which has a basic ridge turret on the outside, operated as a religious order church for the Graz Jesuits.In terms of art and cultural history, it is the most significant inner-city religious edifice.The Roman-German emperors’ court church was built in the 15th century.A connecting corridor previously connected the cathedral to Graz Castle.The main altar is a significant work of art from the Baroque period.The bridal boxes in the two aisles are by Paola Gonzaga from the Mantua dynasty – made by Andrea Mantegna in the Italian early Renaissance.The cathedral’s outside wall is adorned with a fresco known as the plague painting.

The Mannerist St. Catherine’s Church with the Mausoleum sits just close to the cathedral.It is the greatest mausoleum erected by the Habsburgs and the last resting place of Emperor Ferdinand II (1578-1637).A bronze sculpture of the church patron, Aegidius, is on a plinth between the cathedral and the tomb, and was produced based on a model created by Graz artist Erwin Huber.

Graz was the Habsburgs’ home from 1379 to 1619.The Jesuit order is intertwined with Graz’s history.The Domherrenhof housed monks beside the ancient and first Graz University.
The Burggarten in Graz serves as the seat of the Styrian state government.Duke Friedrich V began building in 1438, and Archduke Karl II and his son, Emperor Ferdinand II, proceeded.The magnificent double spiral staircase from 1499 is a legacy from the initial Gothic building period. The castle gate is built into the structure, and it is the only remaining city gate in Graz, along with the outer Paulustor.

The main square, Herrengasse, Färberplatz, and Mehlplatz, as well as sections of Burggasse and Bürgergasse, Schmiedgasse, Raubergasse, Neutorgasse, Marburger Kai, Andreas-Hofer-Platz, and the Franziskanerviertel with their respective side streets, comprise Graz’s core.

The main plaza is an uneven and historically developed market area that used to stretch south to Landhausgasse.It is served by all of the city’s tram routes.The neoclassical Graz town hall, erected between 1889 and 1895 according to plans by architects Alexander Wielemans and Theodor Reuter, lies on the south side above an earlier town hall from 1807.It is now the Graz municipal council’s seat.The Archduke Johann Fountain, designed by Viennese caster Franz Pönninger and presented in 1878, is in the center of the square.Archduke Johann’s life-size bronze statue stands above an imposing metal pedestal, on which four female sculptures portray allegories of the rivers Mur, Enns, Drau, and Sann.The Weißsche Haus, the Adler pharmacy, the two stuccoed Luegg homes on the corner of Sporgasse, the Weikhard house with the grandfather clock of the same name, and the Palais Stürgkh border the main plaza.

The baroque ceremonial street Herrengasse connects the main plaza to the second central square, Jakominiplatz.The country house with its Renaissance arcaded courtyard, the state armory with the world’s greatest collection of early modern weaponry, the so-called “painted house,” and the parish church, Graz’s primary parish church are all located here.It traverses Am Eisernen Tor plaza, with its fountain and Marian column, before reaching Ringstrasse.Until the 19th century, the namesake Iron Gate served as a city gate of the Renaissance defense belt.Until 1439, the Graz Jewish ghetto was located in the southern portion of Herrengasse, between Kaiserfeldgasse and Schmiedgasse.

The Grazer Schauspielhaus, which opened in 1776, may be reached from the Stadtkrone, as can the alley system around the Glockenspielplatz with the Glockenspielhaus through the Hofgasse and Bürgergasse.At the end of Engen Gasse, you may travel to Herrengasse or view the bishop’s palace at Bischofplatz through Stempfergasse, a retail street.

The Franziskanerkirche, Graz’s second biggest church, is located on the east bank of the Mur and serves as the focal point of the Franziskanerviertel.The earliest monastic settlement in Graz is placed at an angle due to its original island position.The path of the “Kot(h)mur,” a sewer, divided the region from the rest of the city.

The Franziskanerviertel, which is located between Raubergasse, Landhausgasse, and Andreas-Hofer-Platz, leads to the Joanneumviertel.It comprises of two colossal structures and houses the main building of Styria’s largest museum, the Joanneum.The ancient botanical garden, which had to be relocated to Geidorf, was previously housed in the newly constructed inner courtyard.The Neutor, which was destroyed in 1884, stood on the site of Friedrich Setz’s new Joanneum and post office complex.The municipal building of Graz dominates the Schmiedgasse streetscape.The Graz Higher Regional Court is located near the Marburger Kai’s southern end.

The old city wall may be seen above ground in a few places: the Glacisstraße and the city park are named after and located near the open area in front of the city fortification; remnants of the wall have been preserved in the peacock garden and the city park.The ring road largely follows the line of the previous moat; from the air, the position of the former bastions can be seen in several places.Graz Stadtpark, which encompasses the majority of the historic glacis, is the city’s largest green space.The Forum Stadtpark, the Halle für Kunst Steiermark, the music pavilion, the Stadtpark fountain, and various natural monuments are among the numerous monuments.The park’s construction began in 1869, and the mayor dedicated it in 1873Moritz Ritter von Franck.The Graz Opera House, which opened in 1899, was erected outside the Stadtpark and in the city center.