I'm looking into spending some time in Graz this spring, using only public transport. I have already been to Salzburg and Vienna, and I love well-preserved old towns, baroque architecture, beautiful churches, modern art galleries, palaces, and lovely urban places to just hang and soak up the atmosphere. I do speak some German, so I'm not too concerned about Graz not being heavily visited by English-speaking tourists.
I have some questions for anyone who's been to Graz before:
- How many days is enough time for Graz? I don't like rushing and doing a whistle-stop tour of a place, I like to take my time, but equally I don't want to feel like I've exhausted everything there is to do while still having several days to fill somehow. For instance, I spent I think 9 days in Vienna, which felt perfect for a big city with lots to see and do, and I was never bored and I never felt like I'd run out of things to do. But I assume 9 days would be way too many for Graz.
- Are there any day trips or interesting sights in the surrounding area that you would recommend? I don't intend to have access to a car, but I love day trips to get out of a city and see different things. Previously I've really enjoyed day trips to Werfen and Berchtesgaden from Salzburg, and the Wachau Valley from Vienna. I'm willing to endure a bit of a trek on a train if the destination is really worth it.
- Is there anything in Graz that you would recommend beyond the obvious major sights? I'm interested in lots of things, but in particular I really love Jewish history and 20th-century history - if there's anything interesting in Graz or nearby pertaining to either of those things I'd love to know about it.
- Are there any other Austrian cities that you would recommend pairing with Graz in a single trip? What about Linz? I've heard it's sort of similar to Graz in some ways while being perhaps a bit less impressive; is it worth spending a couple of nights there potentially at the end of the trip? I won't be flying into Graz directly (since that seems all but impossible from Scotland) but Vienna and Munich airports look like potential options, in terms of where I'm likely to start and end a trip (and I may well fly into one and out of the other, if it makes sense).
- Any hotel recommendations would also be hugely appreciated.
Thank you in advance!