When visiting Graz you`ll need a good pair of walking shoes. Much of the old town district (`Altstadt` or `Old City`) is a pedestrian zone and is therefore best explored on foot. While the city is large overall, many of the most notable attractions are located at or near the city center on both sides of the River Mur that dissects Graz into two parts. One modern attraction sits right in the middle of the Mur - a floating island with a café and an outdoor, amphitheater-type, performance venue and hangout spot: Die Murinsel. It can be reached via a walkway from either bank, and thus also serves as an alternative way to cross the river on foot of by bike.

Because the main attractions are located within a small area, you can have a look at the various historical sights with ease, even on a single walk. Guided tours in various languages are also available.

To get a different perspective on the major sights and buildings of architectural and historical merit, you should not miss ascending onto the Schlossberg (castle hill) located in the middle of the old city. On top of this small mountain are not only a number of important attractions, including the city`s most iconic structure - the Clock Tower - there are several observation platforms on what remains of the former castle`s fortifications that provide a great opportunity to see the city from above at minimal cost or none at all. If you are not up to the challenge of climbing to the top (via flights of stairs, a steep road or winding trails), you can take a ride up with either the Schlossbergbahn or use the lift built into the mountain rock and accessed through a tunnel on the West side of the Schlossberg at city street level. Another tunnel allows you to walk straight through the mountain from West to East or the other way round. This is a rather remarkable short-cut between the Stadtpark to the East of the Schlossberg and the historic city center.

If you’re looking to explore a bit more of the city, you`ll find Graz has an excellent public transportation system that makes getting around quite easy. There are trams (called Strassenbahn), buses (Bus), commuter rail and trains that connect the city, the neighboring towns and villages as well as places farther away. There are daytime and nighttime bus routes and it is generally easy to get to many destinations.

To get around the city, the best option is to purchase a 24-hour ticket that allows for unlimited use of city busses and all trams. This makes it easy to reach such destinations as Schloss Eggenberg (Eggenberg Castle/Palace), Mariatrost Basilica and the Tramway Museum, or the Hilmteich Lake, for example. All of these destinations are too far from the center for a leisurely walk.

Tickets: Single tickets (about €2.30) for buses and trams are valid for one hour, but you`re generally better off getting a 24-hour pass (about €5.10). Ten one-zone tickets cost about €20, and a weekly pass cost around €14.30. Hourly and 24-hour tickets can be purchased from the driver; other passes can be purchased from Tabak (tobacconist) shops, pavement ticket machines or the tourist office.

By Tram: Graz has an excellent tram service running through the Jakominiplatz where the different routes meet and you can change trams and buy tickets at the rondeau as well as all tobacco shops. Make sure you punch your ticket inside the tram (If you get caught without a valid/punched ticket you will have to pay a fine of about €60).

By Bus: Graz also has an excellent city bus network taking in the parts of Graz not serviced by trams. Many buses go through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof. The tickets are the same as for the tram. Be sure to get yourself a map (at Jakominiplatz) of the network if you plan to use it frequently.

Keep in mind that bus and tram services operate from 5am to midnight. The last cars for the day in each direction usually leave at 11:30pm from Jakominiplatz. Night buses operate only on Fridays and Saturdays and before public holidays.

Regional Bus: Regional bus routes serve the rural area around Graz. Regional lines can be identified by their three-digit numbers (e.g. the airport lines 630 and 631). They offer bike transportation on most vehicles (which tram and city bus do not allow).

Graz City Transport, Jakoministrasse 1, operates streetcar and bus service throughout the city. Jakominiplatz, on the river`s eastern bank, and Griesplatz, on the western bank, are the points where most streetcar lines intersect. The Graz City Transport office at Jakoministrasse 1 is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.

Taxis are also available 24/7 throughout the city and can get you to your destination a bit faster than the buses or trams. You can hail one on the street, go to a taxi stand or simply call to be picked up. The taxi ranks with the best chances of getting a taxi day or night are `Hauptplatz` (right side of the City Hall) or `Hauptbahnhof`. Taxis do cost quite a bit more though. There is a base rate of about €3-4 for all rides. Avoid taxis in the early morning and early evening when traffic congestion can make a taxi ride very expensive. A ten-minute taxi ride usually costs about €10. The taxi drivers are typically very honest about rates, but you should still confirm any fare issues before beginning the trip.

We do not recommend driving in the city. The city has many one-way streets making it difficult to navigate, heavy traffic at times, and parking spaces in the city center are hard to come by and get expensive. Also, many of the key points of interest are actually located in pedestrian or restricted-traffic zones, so you would not be able to drive up to them.

Parking: Tickets can be bought from ticket machines placed in every street. A ticket for half an hour costs around €0.80 (`blue zones`, `green zones` are a bit cheaper). The maximum parking duration in blue zones is three hours and in green zones one day. Be aware that there are a lot of `ticket-police` around so don`t even try to park without a valid ticket (fines run about €25). There are a number of underground car parks in the city center for example under the Karmeliterplatz which is called Pfauengarten (Parking garage) which is open 24 hours a day. A ticket for one hour costs about €4 per hour, a 24h ticket costs about €30.

Graz is a city of cyclists that offers a fantastic network of cycle paths making it a great way to get around the central areas of Graz. Bikes may be rented for about €10 per day or €40 per week. There are bike rentals outside the main train station. Note, bike theft is a fairly common in Graz, so take precautions and properly lock your bike.

Online maps are available for cycling in Graz. You can also obtain a map for cycling in the city from the Tourist information office or at the `Radstation` (cycling station) located next to the central railway station.