Where to live in Graz

Graz is a city that attracts many types of people and there are many reasons why you should live here. A lot of students live here because there are 6 universities in total in the city, but Graz also is attractive for families or people with high income. There are also neighbourhoods where mostly ethnic people from different parts of the world decide to plant their roots.

In this article, I would like to give you an introduction to the different neighbourhoods of Graz so that you can find the best place for you to live, depending on whether you are a student, high income, low income or having a family.

Neighbourhood overview

Graz is made up of 17 different neighbourhoods:

• Innere Stadt
• St. Leonhard
• Geidorf
• Lend
• Gries
• Jakomini
• Liebenau
• St.Peter
• Waltendorf
• Ries
• Mariatrost
• Andritz
• Gösting
• Eggenberg
• Wetzelsdorf
• Straßgang
• Puntigam

Where I should live in Graz as a student

The obvious choice for students coming to live in Graz for university is to find a flat or a room in a shared apartment (WG) near their campus. Geidorf and St. Leonhard are for this reason very popular for students of the Karl-Franzens Universität and for the Technische Universität (TU), so that they can get to their 8 a.m. classes without having to wake up too early. Geidorf is also a good choice for those studying at FH Campus 02 or at the Pädagogische Hochschule. The TU has multiple campuses around Graz and one of the biggest faculties is also down in the St. Peter neighbourhood.

If you are studying at the FH Joanneum, you would have to move to the complete other side of Graz if you want to stay close to campus, in Eggenberg. Living in the dead centre, Innere Stadt, is also an option. From here you can easily go to class on foot or by public transport and get all the perks of living in the centre. As many students in Graz do not have a particularly high income, some decide to live in some of the cheapest neighbourhoods and go to uni by bike. You can find many cheap WG rooms in Gries and Lend.

Where I should live in Graz with my family

Families tend to live in the neighbourhoods that are more on the outskirts of Graz, where you can find everything you need nearby without having to go to the centre. This includes shopping centres and supermarkets, schools, free-time activities and so on. These neighbourhood distinguish themselves because they are typically quiet areas with detached houses.

In this section you can find Straßgang, Liebenau, and parts of St. Peter and Puntigam. Concidentally, these are the neigbourhoods that have been growing and developing the most in recent years. Besides the detached houses, many brand-new apartment blocks are being built. Now not only families are moving in now, but people from every stage of life who want to live in quieter areas.

Where I should live in Graz if I have lower income

As already mentioned in the paragraph dedicated to students, the cheapest neighbourhoods to live in are Gries and Lend. This is due to historical factors: since Graz was founded, immigrants would move into the areas on the western side of the Mur, while the eastern side was more for rich people. For a long time, Gries and Lend were neighbourhoods many avoided completely, as it was deemed unsafe. However, this should not discourage you, as in recent years gentrification has done its work and those two neighbourhoods have been experiencing a revival. Many independent shops and cafés have opened and Lendplatz has become one of the big centres of Graz nightlife.

Eggenberg is also a typical neighbourhood for workers, where prices are not that high. Although it is not central, it is close to the main train station and connected beautifully with a tram to the centre.

Where I should live in Graz if I have higher income

Middle-class and high-income families live in the more classical and traditional neighbourhoods of Mariatrost and Ries. If you ever get the chance to walk through those neighbourhoods, you will see villas and mansions on every side of the road. The prices of houses here are thus higher and not affordable for everyone.

What about the other neighbourhoods?

Gösting, Andritz and Wetzelsdorf are also neighbourhoods that are more on the outskirts of Graz. For those who want to live close to the city but surrounded by more nature, these are the neighbourhoods for you. There are trams going to and from Andritz and Wetzelsdorf and a bus to Gösting, but they take at least 30 minutes from the centre.

Jakomini is a neighbourhood with a mixture of business centres, large shops and small living areas. The big exhibition hall of Graz is here and the public transport is also good. This is not a neighbourhood where a specific group of people lives, you can find a bit of everything here.