Also not to be missed is a walking tour through Graz’s historic, UNESCO-listed Old Town, which is rich in stately European beauty, but minus the tourist crowds of some of the continent’s better known cities. Take in the medieval stylings of the main square, the Hauptplatz, with its coming together of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, then ascend to the magnificent Schlossberg, where a fortress has stood guard over the city since at least the 10th century AD. A ride up to the hilltop on a funicular railway, followed by a walk around the pretty park containing the elegant Uhrturm clock tower, is a supremely relaxing way to pass an afternoon – and the views over Graz, from its medieval core to the trendy neighbourhoods of Lend and Gries, are magnificent. Although it’s Austria’s second-largest city, Graz has an overwhelming atmosphere of calm, and that’s never more evident than when you’re enjoying a mindful moment, taking in the panorama from the Schlossberg. One thing you definitely won’t miss from up here is the Kunsthaus, the city’s eye-catching art museum. A space-age construction resembling some strange creature of the deep – it’s known to locals as the ‘Friendly Alien’ – the gallery somehow complements its historic surroundings. Built as part of Graz’s coronation as European Capital of Culture in 2003, it houses contemporary artworks from the 1960s to the present day; linger in its futuristic corridors and admire works by artists at the cutting edge of modern European art.
While Graz itself has enough cultural, historical and culinary delights to divert you for your entire stay, don’t miss the chance to get out into the Styrian countryside and enjoy lunch at a buschenschank, a traditional tavern where platters of the region’s finest produce are served alongside the best Styrian wine; an unbeatable way to spend a few hours.
Enjoy world-class music in Baroque palaces in Salzburg
What Graz is to food, Salzburg is to music. Austria’s fourth-largest city was the birthplace of perhaps classical music’s leading luminary, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose legacy still echoes throughout Salzburg’s Baroque residences, auditoriums and dining halls. It’s hard to imagine a more refined or relaxing way to pass an evening than in the company of a Mozart opera or symphony.
This quintessential Salzburg experience can be enjoyed at the magnificent Mirabell Palace, where Mozart himself once performed, but with Salzburg being all about a break from the everyday, why not elevate the experience even further by combining a concert with a gourmet meal? The St. Peter Stiftskulinarium sits within St. Peter’s Abbey, and is said to be Europe’s oldest restaurant, with a history dating way back to 803 AD. Sitting amid its vaulted stone arches and rich dark wood panelling is a transporting experience in itself, but the exquisite Mediterranean food and fine wine selection – all soundtracked live by a Mozart opera – will take the evening to new heights. Mozart’s Salzburg isn’t all about the music, either – be sure to tour the Mozart Birthplace, where the great man was born, and the stylish Mozart Residence, where his family lived for 14 years.
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