Hire Car Graz Tips, Experiences & Comparison

Discover Graz by hire car

Graz is the second largest city in the Republic of Austria with 280,000 inhabitants and is located in the heart of Styria.

The name of the town on the river Mur is derived from the Slovenian word Gradec, meaning small castle.

With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the old town of Graz is not only one of the most beautiful in Europe, but is also considered the largest contiguous of its kind on the entire continent and has been a World Heritage Site since 1999.

Sights in Graz

The special feature of the old town of Graz is above all the fact that architectural styles from the Gothic period to the 21st century can be found here.

Whereby contemporary architecture has been integrated into the overall picture in a wonderfully harmonious way.

The core of this part of Graz is the Schlossberg, which served as a fortress from 1125 to 1809 and was never taken.

Here you will also find Graz’s landmark, the Clock Tower dating back to 1570. However, the Gothic cathedral, St Catherine’s Church or Graz Castle, once the residence of the Habsburgs, are also worthwhile destinations, to name but a few. Everywhere in between, galleries, museums as well as the Graz Opera, can be found.

The latter is the most important in the whole country after the Vienna State Opera. Culture has quite an exorbitant importance in Graz and even led to it becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2003.

Discover the surroundings of Graz

A hire car is the ideal way to reach the most visited sight in Graz, Eggenberg Palace, located in the north of the city.

This monumental structure, whose origins date back deep into the Middle Ages, is considered the most imposing Baroque palace in all of Styria. Extremely picturesque, it is surrounded by a beautiful English garden where peacocks roam freely.