Obviously, it appears that when traveling to Austria, people always mention Vienna and Salzburg. We will be traveling in Central Europe mid-March next year and looking for some "less than touristy" stops while visiting Prague and possibly Vienna....my question is....how is Graz? Pictures of the area look beautiful. Curious about cafes, bars, sites, etc.

I enjoyed Graz enough I went back.

See: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...acious-graz-2/

And: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...gracious-graz/

Worth a visit, definitely. It feels more eastern than other parts of Austria, and there are many students in the city.

One main attraction is the armoury:
https://www.museum-joanneum.at/en/styrian-armoury

We find Graz and the surrounds rather enjoyable, but there are caveats.

March and April can be a fussy time of the year in Steiermark (Styria), where Graz is located. Just this past April, for example, we departed Vienna for a long weekend in Slovenia and had winds and blowing snow as we drove the higher elevations toward Graz for about 25 kilometers. At the time, Graz had snow.

Schloss Eggenberg, a highlight of Graz, is closed until 1 April, as will be Hochosterwitz, a spectacular castle in the surrounds. Cafes and museums will be open, but outdoor seating at the former may not.

Would I go to Graz in mid-March? Hmm. If I could have a backup plan in case the weather was unreliable, then, yes.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Wait for the off-the-beaten-path snobs. They will tell you to avoid Salzburg, and head straight to Graz.

They are the same people who recommend Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam, and Brussels instread of Bruges and Ghent.

Vienna and Salzbug are famous for a reason. If you like to venture off the beaten path, good for you, but don't expect Graz to be anything like Vienna.

You've been warned.

Ah, missed the mid-March time...yeah maybe not the best choice that time of year.

I love Hochosterwitz!

You want places in the CR, also, right, that you can visit from Prague? I'd suggest Tabor, I really enjoyed my day trip there. Of course there are tourists there, mainly Czech, but not that many compared to wellknown sites in many guidebooks (like Cesky Krumlov). And then you could go to Ceske Budejovice, if you wanted, also. Olomouc is doable by a day trip, also, and is worth a visit, I spent a couple days there. I am not mentioning any place that has ZERO tourists as that would presumably be a place with nothing you'd want to see, but these are less touristy than the biggies.

Olomouc is 2 hrs by train from Prague, Tabor only about 1:15 hrs. You can Google what there is to see in those places to see if they hold any interest for you. Ceske Budejovice is about the longest, but can be done in 2 hrs, some trains take a bit longer.

Johanes Kepler, the father of the modern scientific method, taught university in Gratz until the 30 Year's War wrecked it.

Another excursion from Prague, Brno. Has a nice city centre.

Lavandula

Graz is good for a couple of days or so... Things to see in and around the immediate area. Lovely cafes to sit and have a drink while you people-watch.

Not far is the stunning Stift Rein!!! So definitely worth a visit. Try to get there for the noon chants... It is breathtaking to listen to the monks. The library is gorgeous. Get a tour if you can.

Nearby is another wonderful little chapel set high on a hill with beautiful artwork and statuary. Don't remember the name right now but if interested I will look it up for you.

The Tour guide that allowed me to join her group at Stift Rein took me to see so much more of it after her tour group left. Then, she insisted that I follow her to this other gorgeous chapel! What a wonderful lady!!!

I'm planning a stop in Graz next July and was happy to find this thread and that some of you enjoyed Graz (ThursdaysD and joannyc - I've read your trip reports to other places and find I tend to like the same things you do so that bodes well for Graz).

My questions - sort of answered by this tread - is 3 nights (only 2 days as probably won't arrive till late afternoon) a good amount of time?

Also - I'm wondering if there is something special going on the last weekend in June (2018). I googled it and didn't see anything but virtually all the hotels are booked which seems strange six months out for a city that is not all that touristy (not even in Rick Steves if that says anything). Or are weekends in summer just that popular?

Two days should be fine, but I think you could fill three, especially if you want to see the armory, which I skipped.

For my first trip start here:

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...omment-5282285

This is my second visit: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...gracious-graz/