I Visited A Beautiful City In Europe (You’ve Probably Never Heard Of)

It left me speechless

When you think of Austria, what comes to mind?

Is it the cultural capital city of Vienna? Or maybe it’s Innsbruck and Salzburg with their snow-capped mountain views?

Your first answer is probably not Graz. As a tourist, I didn’t know what to expect when I visited the city for the first time. After all, many of my friends had never heard of Graz or could even point it out on a map.

But, after visiting Graz, I can confidently say that it’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever been.

Here’s why:

Take a scenic train ride

My day started bright and early in the morning to catch a train from Vienna’s main train station.

My boyfriend and I have been traveling around Europe on a budget and needed to find a cheap train ticket. This just so happened to be a 7 am sleeper train traveling from Poland to Graz. When we got onto the train, it wasn’t busy at all. In our cabin, there was only one other person.

As we pulled away from Vienna, I was sleepy, having gotten up much earlier than I was used to. I pulled out my book and started reading. But, almost immediately, I got distracted by the beautiful views out the window.

There were rolling forest hills, huge castles, endless mountain peaks, and quaint small towns. The stunning scenery woke me up, and I spent the remainder of the train ride staring out the window in awe.

It was an almost three-hour train journey to Graz from Vienna, but I didn’t mind because the views were so beautiful. The train journey into the city was definitely one of the highlights of my entire trip that day.

Walk into the downtown city center

After stepping off the train, I made my way into the city center. It’s a short walk from the station, so I just wandered the winding cobblestone streets and soaked up the feeling of being in a new city.

One thing I noticed as I made my way into the city was that some of the bricks on the ground were brass.

The reason? These bricks are called Stolpersteine and are found all over Europe. It’s one of the largest decentralized monuments for the Holocaust by artist Gunter Demnig.

Each brass brick is hand carved with the name of the Jewish person and any information known about them. The bricks are placed in front of the home where they used to live before they were taken by the Nazis.

Demnig cited the Talmud and said, “A person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten.” Most of these people do not have graves, and these brass bricks are often their only memorial.

The point is for people to “stumble” across them while they’re walking around and be confronted with the past. The plaques serve as an important reminder of the tragic history society cannot forget.

Admire the stunning architecture

I walked everywhere in Graz because it allowed me to fully take in the city.

There were countless churches and beautiful buildings that continuously made my jaw drop. Dotted around the city were plenty of beautiful fountains and park spaces too. The experience of walking around Graz felt completely different from what I’m used to back home in the United States.

Walking into the city, we found a bridge with love locks on it, similar to the famous one in Paris, Pont des Arts. I know that there are legitimate safety risks to these, but I always find it heartwarming to see these declarations of love sprinkled on a bridge.

When I first stepped into the main town square, it seemed unassuming. Then, I turned around and came face-to-face with a grand town hall. The white building has large columns, beautiful domes, and ornate archways. I loved the detailed statues in particular which are allegorical to represent trade, science, art, and craft.

Enjoy some delicious Austrian food

In the town square are several food stalls with traditional Austrian food.

They’ve got schnitzel, sausages, and (my personal favorite) käsekrainer. I’ve never passed up an opportunity to eat käsekrainer, a delicious cheese sausage. So, of course, that’s what I ended up eating.

It wasn’t too busy in the town center, and I was able to have a nice chat with a friendly man who ran the food stall.

We had a funny conversation about sparkling water versus still water in Europe. He also helped me with the pronunciation of some German words I was struggling with. When I got one of them right, he got a huge grin on his face.

“Where are you from?” he asked.

When I told him the answer, he was amazed. He was very proud to hear that I had come all that way to visit Graz. And, I was happy to be there.

Visit the oldest building in the city

My favorite part of the trip was visiting the oldest building in Graz. It’s a clock tower that sits on the hill, Schlossberg, overlooking the city.

There is a staircase on the side of the hill leading up to the tower, but I found the climb a bit intimidating. So, I ended up taking a funicular up the side, and it was worth every cent.

The clock tower was unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in the world. I loved the unique shape of the building. It was fascinating climbing the rickety wood steps inside the clock tower to see the bells and gears that control everything.

I loved walking around the public parks. Next to the clock tower were also old wells and fortress walls several hundred years old. It felt surreal being in a place surrounded by all of that history.

The view though, was by far, the most memorable part of the entire day.

From above, I got a complete snapshot of the city nestled amongst gigantic mountains. In between the traditional red roofs, the modern museums and new skyscrapers stood out in the skyline. The panoramic view revealed an old city growing up.

I remember being up there and feeling my eyes go wide. I kept looking left and right, in complete bafflement that this was something I was seeing in real life and not in a painting.

Visiting Schlossberg and the clock tower are a must-do if you visit Graz!

Closing thoughts

“I’m happy I visited Graz,” I said to my boyfriend on the train home. “It’s one of the best cities in Europe.”

Graz is spectacular. Even though it’s the second largest city in Austria, many tourists never bother to visit it. And that’s a shame.

If you’re looking to visit an underrated hidden gem, I recommend Graz, Austria. Even if you only visit for the day, you’ll be impressed with what you find there!

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