City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg Historical Site

The City of Graz - Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg is a UNESCO site that combines a well-preserved medieval and Renaissance urban core with the Baroque princely palace of Eggenberg. The ensemble illustrates the town’s role as a political, cultural and economic centre in Styria from the Middle Ages through the early modern period.

The historic centre includes narrow medieval streets, civic buildings and Renaissance facades clustered around the Hauptplatz and the Landhaus, while the hilltop Schlossberg and its clock tower are dominant landmarks. Schloss Eggenberg, set to the west of the medieval core, is a Baroque palace with formal gardens and richly decorated interiors dating mainly from the 17th century.

Graz developed as a regional capital under local and Habsburg rule; its urban growth and the construction of princely residences reflect changing political and cultural influences over several centuries. The fabric shows continuity between medieval street patterns and later monumental additions.

The city lies on the banks of the Mur River in the Austrian state of Styria, with the historic centre adjacent to the river and Schloss Eggenberg to the west of the core.

• Schloss Eggenberg detail: Schloss Eggenberg combines Baroque state rooms with a designed park and contains a chronologically ordered cycle of decoration important to the site’s symbolism.

What to See#

• Historic centre: Historic centre - a well-preserved medieval and Renaissance urban core with narrow streets, the Hauptplatz and the Landhaus complex reflecting Graz’s development as a regional administrative centre.
• Schloss Eggenberg: Schloss Eggenberg - a Baroque palace and park complex on the western edge of the city dating mainly from the 17th and early 18th centuries, with richly decorated state rooms and symbolic planning.
• Schlossberg and Uhrturm: Schlossberg and Uhrturm - the central hill fortification with the iconic clock tower that is a long-standing symbol of Graz and offers panoramic views of the city.

Graz is accessible by rail and road. High‑speed and intercity trains (Railjet and ÖBB services) link Vienna and Graz Hauptbahnhof in about 2½-3 hours; Graz Hbf is around 1-1.5 km from the historic centre and Schloss Eggenberg (a 15-20 minute walk or a short tram/taxi ride). By road Graz is about 200 km south of Vienna via the A2 motorway (roughly 2½-3 hours). Graz Airport is about 8-12 km south of the city and is served by airport shuttles and taxis into the centre (around 15-20 minutes).

• Schedule Schloss Eggenberg for a quieter late‑afternoon visit and join a guided tour to see the planetary/calendar rooms and detailed painted interiors that many day visitors skip.
• Explore the Old Town early in the day and then take the Schlossberg funicular or walk up the Schlossberg for panoramic views of Graz-this sequence avoids peak tour‑group times in the historic centre.
• Allow time for small side streets off Herrengasse and the university quarter; these lesser‑seen lanes contain Renaissance façades and local cafés that give a more intimate feel of Graz than the main squares.