We’ve been hitting the 37 degree mark here in Graz lately due to a heatwave coming from Africa. It is now slowly cooling down, but being so southern, Graz can be hot hot hot during summer! More so than other cities in Austria.
But fear not, if you want to escape the heat and cool off a bit, there is always something you can do in Graz. Whether it’s by dipping in a pool, chilling in the park, cooling down with an ice cream or roaming by the river, there are plenty of options the city to escape the heat.
Here are 6 ways you can cool off in summer in Graz.
1. Take a dip in a swimming pool
The most obvious thing is usually the most effective one.
There are 4 public open-air swimming pools in Graz: Augartenbad, Auster Freibad, Margaretenbad and Bad Straßgang.
A pricelist can be found here. But since it’s all in German, here are some important infos:
- Adult day ticket: 6,80€ (8,00€ for Auster)
- Reduced day ticket: 4,60€ (6,70€ for Auster) – Student, retirees, disabled
- Child day ticket: 3,50€ (5,60€ for Auster)
2. Take a dip in a lake
If you do not like the chlorine of swimming pools, there are a couple of fresh-water artificial lakes around Graz: Schwarzlsee, Copacabana and Thalersee. Here you can really cool off on a hot summer day in Graz.
Don’t expect them to be as magnificent as the Hallstatt lake, but they do their job when it’s hot outside.
3. Chill in a park
It is commonly known that temperatures in shady, green areas with lots of trees are cooler than in city centres. Graz is no exception. That’s probably why many Grazers migrate to the Stadtpark and Augarten during summer.
It’s not only great for lounging in the shade, but it’s a place to meet up with friends, play games, drink beer and maybe do some slacklining. Many even like doing yoga in the park.
Stadtpark is also great because of the party atmosphere in the evening at Parkhouse. Be sure to check it out!
4. Hang out on the Mur
The cool water of the Mur really cools down the promenade along it. Although the southern part is now closed due to the Murkraftwerk building site, you can still walk northwards and enjoy the cool air and shade.
Another cool thing on the Mur is the City Beach, a pop-up bar open only in the summertime. A cold drink can do wonders when you want to cool off on a hot summer day in Graz.
5. Cool down with an ice-cream
Summer, sun, heat… what goes best with summer if not ice-cream? Here are my personal recommendations for great ice-cream in Graz (in order of personal preference):
6. Hide somewhere with AC
This could either be a shopping centre or a museum.
In a previous article, I talked about shop opening hours in Graz. There you can also find a list of shopping centres in and around the city.
There are many museums in Graz. Joanneum and Kunsthaus are the most modern ones and probably your best bet for some chill-ed sightseeing.
