2 Best Sights in Carinthia and Graz, Austria

One of the most notable sights of the city is the Landhaus, with its towers and court with arcaded stairways. It was completed in 1590, and at the time formed a corner of the city wall. The only interior on view is the dramatic Grosser Wappensaal (Great Hall of Heraldry), which contains 665 coats of arms of Carinthia's landed gentry. On the ceiling is a stirring rendition of the Fürstenstein investiture ceremony portrayed by Fromiller, the most important Carinthian painter of the Baroque period. The Gasthaus im Landhaushof, on the ground floor, is well worth a stop for lunch.

The main wing of the Styrian provincial parliament house was built starting in 1557 by Italian Domenico dell'Allio in the Renaissance Lombard style. Through an archway off Herrengasse, visitors can glimpse a magnificently proportioned three-floor courtyard, surrounding a bronze fountain and copper gargoyles dating from the 16th century. The striking Styrian coat of arms, which depicts a white panther on a green background, is painted as a mural on a nearby wall. In the summer you may discover a small market with sausages, beer, and live music; at Advent, it hosts a Nativity scene made of ice.