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Alte Galerie
The Alte Galerie, is the best among the museums housed within the Schloss, with exquisite paintings and sculpture dating from the Romanesque period through to the late baroque. The palace houses three other collections, which can be visited with admission to the Alte Galerie or Schloss itself. In the Pre- and Early-History Collection the prize exhibition is the exceptional Strettweg Chariot and a bronze mask, both dating from the Hallstatt period (7th century BC).
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Burg
Southeast of Schlossberg is the city's 15th-century Burg, now housing government offices. At the far end of the courtyard, on the left under the arch, is an ingenious double staircase (1499) - the steps diverge and converge as they spiral.
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Domkirche
Opposite the Burg is the Domkirche, a late-Gothic church dating from the 15th century that became a cathedral in 1786. The interior combines Gothic and baroque elements, with reticulated vaulting on the ceiling, but its highlight is the faded Gottesplagenbild fresco on the cathedral's exterior, which dates from 1485. It depicts life in the early 1480s, when Graz was besieged by its triple tragedy of Turks, the plague and locusts.
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FriDa & FreD
With its green spaces, playgrounds and relaxed atmosphere, Graz is made for children. The creation of FriDa & FreD, Graz's first museum devoted to children, makes it even better. This small but fun-packed museum is aimed at kids up to the age of 12, and hosts workshops, exhibitions and theatre. Like any good children's museum, it has loads of hands-on tasks and interactive displays.
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Garrison Museum (Garnisonsmuseum)
Museum in Schlossberg.
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Kulturhistorische Sammlung
A museum with crafted applied arts from the Middle Ages to present.
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Kunsthaus
Sitting splendidly on the bank of the Mur river is the Kunsthaus. Designed by British architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, this world-class contemporary art space is a bold creation which looks something like a space-age sea slug. Exhibitions change every three to four months, and tours cover not only the exhibitions but also the building. Mariahilferstrasse, immediately behind the Kunsthaus, is a lively street with some good bars set among a raft of dubious nightclubs.
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Landesmuseum Joanneum
The Landesmuseum Joanneum, founded in 1811, is Austria's oldest museum and, with 19 locations, is pretty much the gardener of Graz's rich cultural landscape. Its Raubergasse building is home to collections on geology and palaeontology, minerals and zoology, as well as one on botany (only open to groups). (Note that these restricted hours apply while it's being renovated - until about 2011).
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Landeszeughaus
The Landeszeughaus will quite possibly rate as your favourite Austrian museum if you have a passion for armour and weapons. It houses an astounding array of gleaming pieces (more than 30,000 in fact). Most of these date from the 17th century, when the original armoury was built, and some of it is exquisitely engraved; other exhibits are rough and ready and have seen battle.
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Landhaushof
Landhaushof is a stunning Italian Renaissance courtyard, a three-tiered gallery connected by walkways and one of the most celebrated examples of Renaissance architecture in Austria.
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Mausoleum of Ferdinand II
Next door to the Domkirche is the mannerist-baroque Mausoleum of Ferdinand II. Construction by Italian architect Pietro de Pomis began in 1614, but the mausoleum was completed after Pomis' death by Pietro Valnegro, while Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach chipped in with the exuberant stuccowork and frescoes inside.
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Murinsel
Murinsel is a man-made island-cum-bridge of metal and plastic in the middle of the Mur. This modern floating landmark contains a café, a kids' playground and a small stage. After crossing the island you reach Schlossbergplatz.
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Museum der Wahrnehmung
Small but unusual collection that explores sensory illusions; the samadhi (meditative) bath is a therapeutic bath that relieves the body of all sensory input.
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Parkland
The Schloss Eggenberg is set in a Parkland where peacock and deer roam among Roman stone reliefs.
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Planetengarten
The Schloss Eggenberg Parkland has a Planetengarten with a Renaissance theme of planets.
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Prunkräume
The dominating theme of the 24 Prunkräume in the Schloss Eggenberg is astronomy and mythology. The Planet Hall, which is a riot of white stuccowork and baroque frescoes, is one highlight; the frescoes portray the seven planets (all that were then discovered), the four elements and the 12 signs of the zodiac.
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Rathaus
Hauptplatz, the main square from 1160, is dominated by another Renaissance gem, the Rathaus from 1550. The fountain in the centre is a monument to Johann, with four women at his feet representing Styria's main rivers - the Mur, Enns, Drau and Sann.
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Schloss Eggenberg
Situated on the western fringes of the city (tram 1), Schloss Eggenberg was created for the Eggenberg dynasty in 1625. This splendid baroque palace was constructed by de Pomis at the request of Johann Ulrich (1568-1634), who required a suitable home after becoming governor of Inner Austria in 1625.
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Schlossberg
Rising to 473m, Schlossberg is the site of the original fortress that gave Graz its name. Its wooded slopes can be reached by a number of paths.
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Schlossberg Cave Railway
The Schlossberg Cave Railway, the longest grotto railway in Europe, is a highlight for the little 'uns. The trip, taking about 20 minutes, winds its way around fairy-tale scenes through tunnels once used as a safe haven from the allied bombings during WWII.
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Schlossbergbahn
Rising to 473m, Schlossberg is the site of the original fortress that gave Graz its name. Its wooded slopes can be reached by a number of paths, with the funicular Schlossbergbahn from Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai, or by Glass Lift (free with public transport ticket) from Schlossbergplatz. Even Napoleon was hard-pressed to raze this fortress, but raze it he did.
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Stadtpfarrkirche
The stained glass window of the Stadtpfarrkirche, southeast of the Landeszeughaus, is an interesting anomaly: the fourth panel from the bottom on the right (left of the high altar) clearly shows Hitler and Mussolini looking on as Christ is scourged.
