Music, mountains and mouth-watering food: Discover Austria’s hidden gems
21.07.2023 - 07:51
/ roughguides.com
Explore the culinary delights, jaw-dropping mountain backdrops and centuries of European history and culture, away from the tourist crowds, in three of Austria’s finest cities
Graz is known as Austria’s City of Culinary Delights, and for good reason. This elegant city in the southern province of Styria is a place where the finer things in life are close at hand, with the fertile farmland of the surrounding countryside producing an overflowing bounty of Graz truffles, East Styrian apples, Vulkanland cured ham, and much more. Browse the famous Farmers’ Market on Kaiser-Josef-Platz, pausing to pick up some freshly baked bread, ham and cheese, and seasonal salad – all nutrient-packed, health-giving produce, brimming with the essence of life and sure to give you a boost. Pack a picnic basket and make for the tree-lined lawns of Augarten Park for a languid lunch on the banks of the River Mur.
Classic view of the historic city of Graz with main square, Austria © canadastock/Shutterstock
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