One of my oldest friends, Csaba, visited Hungary from Asia. Since Hanoi isn’t next door, you don’t come here often; we meet every 4-5 years.
During his visit in May this year, we suddenly got the idea to go somewhere “around” together for a weekend. The first idea was Trieste, then Tirana, Krakow, but due to time constraints, Graz became the winner; You can get there by a comfortable five-hour train ride from Budapest. We rented an AirBnB apartment to the north of the city.
Two trains go and come back every day; starting at eight in the morning or half past three in the afternoon.
After our arrival, we started with an early lunch; we ate falafel in a place with a rather special atmosphere. After an iced coffee, we walked over to the southern part of town to the accommodation.
Back in the city centre, we took a look at the Granzer Landhaus, a Renaissance architectural masterpiece built between 1527 and 1531 and expanded in the 16th century under the direction of architect Domenico dell’Allio. This elegant palace, now known as a historical landmark, served as the seat of the Styrian Provincial Assembly and symbolized the power and cultural richness of the era.
At the northern end of the centre, turning east, stairs lead up to Castle Hill, where the Clock Tower stands.
The Schlossberg (Castle Hill), Graz’s historic mountain range, is a famous tourist attraction and an important site in the life of the Austrian city. The mountain can be reached in different ways, even by a rack railway or an elevator through a tunnel inside the mountain. From the summit of the 473-metre-high mountain, you can enjoy a wonderful panorama of Graz’s red-roofed skyline and surrounding landscapes.
The Schlossberg was once home to a castle that defended Graz in the Middle Ages. Although the castle was destroyed in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars, the townspeople successfully saved the famous Clock Tower and Bell Tower, which are still symbols of the city today.
The more than 6 km long tunnel system under Schlossberg, which was used as an anti-aircraft shelter during World War II, can still be visited today and is home to various attractions, such as the Dom im Berg concert hall and the fairy tale cave, which is popular with children. In 1999, the historic centre of Schlossberg and Graz was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, highlighting the cultural value of these sites.
The Clock Tower (Uhrturm), which is one of the city’s best-known landmarks. It has been standing here since the 13th century, but it acquired its present form in the 16th century. The peculiarity of his watch is that the clock hand is longer than the minute hand, which can be deceptive at first glance; Originally, only a clock hand was installed so that it could be clearly seen from afar. The clock mechanism, made in the 18th century, is still in use, although it has been electrically powered since the 20th century.
The clock tower also boasts three bells. One of these bells was the “Lumpenglocke” or “vagabond bell,” which once signaled the start of curfew, while the other two bells provided urban fires and hourly time signals. The façade of the building is decorated with historical coats of arms that once adorned the walls of the Schlossberg fortress, including the Styrian panther and imperial eagle coats of arms.
We came back to the center through the cave under the mountain, where we had a hotdog to satisfy our appetite. We went all the way to Graz Cathedral, also known as St. Giles’ Cathedral. The Duomo was built in 1438 and was completed under Emperor Frederick I in Gothic style. Later, at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Jesuits remodelled it in Baroque style. The relatively simple exterior of the cathedral contrasts with its richly decorated interior, which is a harmonious fusion of Gothic and Baroque elements.
One of its best-known features is the *Gottesplagenbild* (“Calamities of God”), a Gothic fresco depicting three calamities: locust plague, plague and war that struck Graz in 1480. The fresco depicts the supplication for divine forgiveness. The cathedral holds many valuable art treasures, including Baroque furniture and two reliquary chests, originally owned by Mantuan nobleman Paola Gonzaga and later converted to house relics of Christian martyrs. The main altar, designed by Georg Kraxner, further enhances the artistic value of the cathedral.
