Experience the best of Graz

The historic centre of Graz is a World Heritage site, a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings around the Hauptplatz, with arcaded courtyards and red-tiled roofs. The Schlossberg hill rises above, topped by the Uhrturm clock tower, whose hour hand is the long one. Nearby, the Landeszeughaus holds a vast collection of historic arms and armour, preserved in the arsenal that once supplied the region's defenders.

Modern architecture sits beside the old. The Kunsthaus, a blue blob-shaped gallery nicknamed the Friendly Alien, and the Murinsel, an island platform in the river, date from 2003, when Graz was a European Capital of Culture. Eggenberg Palace, on the western edge, is part of the same World Heritage listing, and the vineyards and hills of southern Styria begin a short way south.

Styria is known for pumpkin seed oil, dark green and nutty, drizzled over salads and soups, and for crisp white wines from the southern wine roads. Fried chicken called Backhendl and the city's coffee houses are local habits. Graz is mild in spring and autumn, and Christmas markets fill the old town in December.