Innere Stadt

The historic centre of Graz has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1999; in 2010 Schloss Eggenberg, on the western edge of the city, was added to the same entry. What that means for a hotel guest is less romantic than it sounds: the fabric is old, the lanes are narrow, and the buildings were not put up with cars, lifts and sound insulation in mind.

In return you get the shortest distances in the city. Seven of our 25 houses stand here.

The quality that sets this district apart

It is not closeness to the Hauptplatz — that would be trivial. It is the evenness.

Our place data counts, for every house, what lies within a ten-minute walking radius. In the Innere Stadt that figure is above a hundred and forty places to eat and drink for all seven houses, and above two hundred for the most central ones. In the other two districts the same number runs from around two hundred down to almost nothing.

In practice: in the Innere Stadt you cannot pick a bad address. That is remarkable, and it is the real reason the premium pays for itself on a short stay — you do not have to do any research.

Four settings within the centre

On the Hauptplatz and the Sackstraße. The shortest distances of all, and the setting in which you walk out of the door in the morning without a plan. Also the most expensive.

The upper quarter — cathedral, castle, Paulustor. A few minutes north, distinctly quieter. The Volkskundemuseum (Paulustorgasse 13), the Diözesanmuseum (Bürgergasse 2) and the double spiral staircase in the castle are all here. If you want quiet in the evening and still want to be in the middle of things during the day, this is where you belong.

On the Kai below the Schlossberg. The strip between the rock face and the Mur, with the lower station of the Schlossbergbahn within walking distance.

The southern edge towards Jakominiplatz. At the transition to the transport hub, and the most affordable part of the district.

The going-out lanes lie in between: Färberplatz, Mehlplatz, Prokopigasse, Franziskanerplatz — four squares you can walk between in five minutes, with wine taverns such as Die Herzl (Prokopigasse 12) and the Gamlitzer Weinstube (Mehlplatz 4), and coffee houses such as Café Herzog (Herrengasse 6) and Sorger (Sporgasse 4).

The seven houses

In the core band of our niche:

Above the band — the anchors:

The four anchors sit above our niche of 55 to 130 euros. We carry them because an overview of the Graz centre would be incomplete without them — not because we want to sell them as value picks.

What you can reach from here on foot

The Innere Stadt is the one district in which a whole day can be planned without transport — and not narrowly, but comfortably. Within walking distance:

• The Schlossberg with the clock tower, the bell tower and the Graz Museum Schlossberg — by lift, by funicular or up the Kriegssteig.
• The Joanneumsviertel with the Neue Galerie, the natural history museum and CoSA under one square.
• The Landeszeughaus at Herrengasse 16, the largest surviving historic armoury anywhere.
• The Stadtpark and the Burggarten on the eastern edge, the nearest larger green spaces.
• The Kunsthaus Graz on the Lendkai — across the bridge, so formally already in Lend, but a few minutes away.

The district therefore covers both of the things that make Graz what it is: the World Heritage listing of 1999 and the City of Design title of 2011. Both sides lie on the same river, only on different banks.

The three catches

Noise. The going-out lanes are busy in the evening, and historic windows rarely insulate well. If you sleep lightly, ask specifically for a room facing the courtyard — in the old town that makes more difference than anywhere else.

The car. Large parts are pedestrian zone; where you may drive, it is Blue Zone with a three-hour maximum. That is not enough for an overnight stay. Settle where the car goes before you book.

The price over time. Over two nights it hardly matters, because you save the walking. Over seven nights it adds up faster than the time you save. The compromise that nearly always works in Graz is a house at the edge — ten to fifteen minutes instead of five.

Frequently asked questions