At the beginning of last week, I wrote about where certain groups of people live in Graz, to give you an idea where it is best for you to search for a house according to your needs.
In this blog post, however, I would like to talk about the Graz neighbourhoods from a sightseeing point of view. This means, showing what every neighbourhood has to offer.
As general information, there are 17 neighbourhoods in Graz and they are numbered with Roman numbers. Every street sign also shows in which neighbourhood you are. When referring to where you live, you should always say the full name of the district and not the number, as nobody really knows the numbers by heart.
Innere Stadt
The inner city of Graz is the smallest neighbourhood, but is the one with the most sightseeing places compressed into one. The whole area is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage and is one of the biggest still intact medieval centres in Europe. You can find here the famous Schloßberg and Clocktower, the main square with the beautiful town hall building, the shopping street Herrengasse, the Opera, the Stadtpark and the museums.
St. Leonhard
St. Leonhard neighbourhood is the second-smallest in Graz but has the highest concentration of inhabitants (8650/km2). The relatively unknown Herz-Jesu-Kirche is here, the highest building in Graz and a wonderful new gothic style church. The neighbourhood is also home to two universities, the Technische Universität and the Kunstuniversität.
Geidorf
Geidorf is home to the biggest university of Graz, Karl-Franzens Universität. Here you can also find the newly built Medical University, right next to the LKH (Landeskrankenhaus = state hospital), these are worth a visit just for the architecture of the building. The Botanic Garden is also here, just close to the border to Mariatrost. As already mentioned in a previous post, Café Rosenhain is here, a romantic café on top of a hill, with views on the Schloßberg.
Lend
Lend is the first neighbourhood on the west side of the Mur. It is home to the Kunsthaus (the curiously-looking modern art museum), the Murinsel and the main train station – all prime examples of modern architecture. An interesting museum here is the Schell Collection, a museum of padlocks and keys. The whole area going from the Kunsthaus to the end of Lendplatz is littered with bars and cafés, making it a great place for nightlife (especially in summer).
Gries
Gries is also on the west side and everything is centred around Griesplatz. The neighbourhood was deemed unsafe for a long time, because it was home to the red district of Graz. Nowadays it is experiencing a rebirth, with brand new, modern office buildings being built and some cultural initiatives starting (Grieskram, Club Wakuum).
Jakomini
Jakomini is a very modern neighbourhood, where everything revolves around the big boulevard Conrad-von-Hotzendorfstraße, connecting the city centre to the motorway. Here is the Stadthalle and the Graz Messe (a big hall for conferences, concerts and fairs). The Ostbahnhof (Eastern train station) is also here, it’s a beautiful old-style exposed brick building under culturarl heritage.
Liebenau
Liebenau is a classic residential neighbourhood, home to the Merkur Arena Stadium (where the biggest football club of Graz plays – SK Sturm). The Murpark shopping centre is also here.
St.Peter
Close to nature and connected very well to the centre with public transport, St. Peter is one of the favourite residential neighbourhoods in Graz. Here you can see the Saint Peter Church and the Grazer Urwald (a large wood with a giant sequoia tree). The ORF-Studio is here (the largest radio and television provider in Austria).
Waltendorf
More on the outskirts of Graz, Waltendorf is home to two beautiful castles: Hallerschloss and Schloss Lustbühel (including petting zoo). Many like going running along the Leonhardbach and Ragnitzbach, a stream bordering to the neighbourhood of Ries.
Ries
Ries is the classical neighbourhood for well-off people. If you like seeing villas in full countryside, take a walk around here.
Mariatrost
Also a neighbourhood for high-income people, but in the north of Graz. In Mariatrost you can find the wonderful basilica of Mariatrost and the Tramway museum. Also look for the small Mariagrün Church, where Peter Rosegger (one of Graz’ most famous authors) got married. It is a very hilly area and some hiking trails to the north of Graz start here, for example the Rettenbachklamm or Leechwald.
Andritz
Andritz still gives me the feeling of a separate village, though it is now part of Graz. Important here is the Andritz AG, one of the biggest companies based in Graz.
Gösting
Gösting is famous for the castle ruins of Gösting, which was once under the reign of Gösting. The castle and the surrounding areas are a great destination for a Sunday trip. Nearby is also Thalersee and the town of Thal, where Arnold Schwarznegger comes from.
Eggenberg
Eggenberg gives its name to one of the most famous places in Graz, the Eggenberg Castle (UNESCO world cultural heritage). A brand-new settlement of office buildings are being built on the Reininghausstrasse and it is foreseen that many big companies will move in here in the near future. The biggest swimming pool in Graz is also here: Auster.
Wetzelsdorf
Wetzelsdorf is a mostly industrial neighbourhood, although there are also houses and residential areas. The most famous historical building here is the Belgier-Kaserne, built for the SS-regiment at the beginning of WWII.
Straßgang
Built around one of the main roads to get into the city, the Kärntner Straße, Straßgang is another residential area full of detached houses. The Sankt Martin Schloss finds its home here, and nearby is the Seiersberg Shopping Centre.
Puntigam
Puntigam is the Graz neighbourhood that gives its name to the beer of the city: Puntigamer. The brewery finds its home here and it can be visited with a guided tour. The neighbourhood is the newest in Graz and a big part of the industry is here.
