Graz - Cultural capital with wine heritage

Austria's second city and cultural capital, with a UNESCO World Heritage old town. The vibrant food and wine scene showcases Styrian specialties: pumpkin seed oil, Styrian wines, and farm-to-table cuisine. Gateway to the Southern Styrian Wine Road.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Find the Clock Napoleon Couldn't Destroy History · Free

   Stare at the clock face on the Uhrturm (Schlossberg hill, free walk from Schlossberglift). Something is wrong. The BIG hand shows the hour. The SMALL hand shows minutes — opposite of every clock ever made. The 1712 clockworks had only one large hand for hours, visible from the city below. When a minute hand was added later, there was no space, so convention was inverted forever. This clock was saved by ransom: in 1809, Napoleon ordered the entire Schlossberg fortress demolished, but citizens paid French cash to spare these towers. What you're looking at survived because a city refused to let Napoleon take their landmark.

   Backup: If it's raining, the funicular (Schlossbergbahn) runs Sun-Thu until midnight, Fri-Sat until 2am. Covered by Graz Linien public transport zone 101 ticket.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Watch 930 Pixels Turn a Building into a Screen Adventure · Price: moderate

   Architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier completed the Kunsthaus Graz (Lendkai 1) in 2003 and Cook called it "the Friendly Alien." The biomorphic acrylic skin has 1,066 glass elements — zero straight lines. But the real story emerges after dark: 930 circular fluorescent lamps embedded in the east facade form the BIX media facade. Each lamp equals one pixel. Only 0.2% of conventional TV pixel density, yet at night across the Mur, the building sends messages visible from 100+ meters. Visit inside during the day (€11, Tue-Sun 10am-6pm), then at dusk walk to the opposite bank and watch the facade animate. The contrast IS the point: Europe's most futuristic building inside its most perfectly preserved medieval townscape.

   Backup: If you can't go inside, the exterior and BIX facade are free to observe from Lendkai at any time. The light show runs nightly.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Taste the Wine Archduke Johann Planted in 1822 Wine · Price: moderate

   You're drinking the accidental legacy of Archduke Johann (1782-1859), who in 1822 planted an experimental vineyard at Stainz Castle with "Muskat-Sylvaner" — now known as Sauvignon Blanc. Most varieties were forgotten. Sauvignon Blanc stayed. In 2024, Styrian Sauvignon Blanc beat New Zealand at the International Wine Challenge, beating the country that invented modern Sauvignon Blanc. At Der Steirer (Belgiergasse 1, operating since 1910), ask for their rotating 12-bottle open-wine selection from their Styrian cellar. Request specifically Kitzeck-Sausal Sauvignon Blanc (highest/steepest vineyards on Earth — 2,100+ feet, slopes over 100%) with fried chicken and pumpkin seed oil salad. The green-black oil was once sold exclusively in pharmacies, equated to gold.

   Backup: If Der Steirer is full, Aiola Upstairs on the Schlossberg (GPS 47.074, 15.438) serves Styrian wines with a panoramic terrace view over the city rooftops. Mains from €18.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Buy Pumpkin Oil Directly from the Farmer Adventure · Price: low

   Styrian pumpkin seed oil (Kürbiskernöl) carries Protected Geographic Indication — each batch gets an official government control number. Here's what nobody tells you: this oil was once sold only in pharmacies as medicine, equated to gold, available as remedy. Today it's on every Styrian table with deep emerald-black color and toasted nut-earth taste. Walk the Bauernmarkt Kaiser-Josef-Platz (Mon-Sat, 6am-1pm, Saturday peak time) until you find Kürbiskernöl vendors. Ask "Welches Jahr ist die Ernte?" (What year is the harvest?) — fresh-pressed oil should be from the most recent autumn. Budget €10-18 for 500ml. Also hunt for Käferbohnen (scarlet runner beans — brilliant purple-pink, one of Austria's most distinctive salads).

   Backup: Lendplatz market (GPS 47.0668, 15.4298) is a smaller alternative, Mon-Sat from 6am, more local crowd, fewer tourists.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Der Steirer in the old town is perfect for Styrian wine and local cuisine

• Visit the Schlossberg for sunset views over the city with a glass of local wine

• Saturday's Farmers Market at Kaiser-Josef-Platz offers Styrian producers