Graz is Austria’s second city and one of culinary pleasures. It is also the capital of the Styria region, an area renowned as the ‘green heart’ of Austria, because of its excellent produce and wine growing. So where better to enjoy a visit to some Austrian Christmas markets than in a gourmet centre and wine lovers haven?
We’ve been to Austria at Christmas a few times to take in Christmas markets – from the grandeur of Salzburg to the modern cool of Vienna and Linz, plus the nation’s most famous festive town, St Wolfgang.
However, Graz offers something different and it was not just the excellent food and wine. The city has 14 different Christmas markets – a challenge to see them all in a short break or even a weekend – but we did manage to get to quite a few.
A small city of 300,000 people, Graz keeps the festivities accessible – the Christmas markets are all within easy walking distance.
Many of the markets are themed, some aimed at children such as Kleine Neutorgasse, then there are charity markets such as at Eisernes Tor, while others are focused on food, drinking (mostly the gluhwein, punches and schnapps), or entertainment. There is nothing mundane about Austria at Christmas and Graz’s Christmas markets and other festive attractions are no exception.
Make the most of Austria at Christmas – glühwein, fun and gifts
Of course we had to sample a little something from each market. We bought wine, jams, chocolates and Christmas decorations, our friends and family assured to receive unique gifts, which is one of the best aspects of Austrian Christmas market shopping.
Naturally, to warm us up on the chilly winter nights, glühwein was our drink of choice. But in Graz, at the heart of one of Austria’s largest wine-producing region, glühwein comes with options. Traditional spiced, red wine is offered up, but there’s also Schilcherglühwein, made with the rosé Schilcher wine, which is produced only in West Styria from the indigenous Blauer Wildbacher grape.
Fuelled by the best grapes from the region, we took to the streets to discover more of Graz’s festive attractions and Christmas spirit with Ruth, a local city guide.
Take in the nativities
The first festive landmark she revealed to us was a life-sized nativity scene carved from ice in the courtyard of the Landhaus, the 15th century building housing the provincial parliament of Styria. Ruth, told us that should it melt, there is also a back up ice sculpture available, but it wasn’t likely even in Graz’s milder winter climate.
It was a pretty evocative sight though, especially in the evenings when the arches of the Landhaus are brightly lit and the ice glistens.
Graz also has a Nativity Way, or Krippen Weg, a street where shops display a number of nativity scenes in their window – another festive highlight.
Austrian Christmas markets galore
Christmas markets in Graz bring the city seasonal cheer from the start of November. Generally they start each day at 11am and shut between 8pm and 11pm, depending which you visit.
One of our favourites was at the Schlossberg, the site of a former fortress topping a hillside. Access to the Schlossberg is via a funicular, a lift, or the more challenging stairs and it provides a great vantage point for views over the city.
Up at the top, within the cavernous, aged brick walls of the fortress, stalls bulge with local delicacies from schnapps to wine and deli items. Then there’s handicrafts, from wood-carved gifts to murano glass, and more decorations. It’s warm, cozy and local – just what you’d expect from a great Austrian Christmas market.
Over on the opposite side of the River Mur, you will find Adventmarkt am Südtiroler Platz, the Wonderlend am Mariahilferplatz and also Grieskindlmarkt within a short walk of each other.
They’re smaller but no less cosy with plenty of gluhwein stalls and the lights on the Church of Mariahilfer are worthy of the visit alone.
Crossing back over the river, on the other side of the city’s main thoroughfare, Herrengasse, and all very close together are the markets of Glockenspielplatz the Mehlplatz and artsy handicrafts at Färberplatz, which makes for an effortless visit to three of the fourteen Christmas markets.
Then, in the heart of the city, you’ll find another market in the main square, Hauptplatz. The Town Hall stands at the head of the square, its façade colourfully illuminated with a festive and atmospheric light show during the Christmas period.
Hauptplatz’s market has gifts and tree decorations, but it’s also a great meeting place where you can have fun with friends.
It’s a place to eat, drink and be very merry. It’s also home to a sausage stand that local boy Arnold Schwarzenegger always visits when he makes his twice-yearly return to Graz.
Get the festive feels at the Advent Lounge
Another new feature in the heart of Graz is the Advent Lounge. Set in Schmiedgasse, alongside City Hall, it is an outdoor area of Christmas huts all beautifully lit and with lovely heated seating areas where you can enjoy a drink or two with friends.
We sat among the locals, on comfortable fur-covered seats with overhead heaters and it was a very pleasant experience even on a cold December night.
So after you’ve visited the Christmas markets and bought your stocking fillers, head to the Advent Lounge and relax over a gluhwein or two – we found it the perfect finish to a day’s Christmas shopping.
Find your voice at the Office for Christmas Carols
After visiting many Christmas markets in many countries, we finally found something truly unique in Graz – an Office for Christmas Carols. And it is not to be missed.
Part of the Styrian Centre for Folk Music, on Sporgasse, which is just off Herrengasse, the Office for Christmas Carols aims to promote traditional Austrian music, plus carols and popular festive music from around the world.
The Office for Christmas Carols isn’t only for Christmas. All year round they are sourcing traditional music from all over the world, but for the four weeks of advent, the focus is on seasonal music, as Eva Maria Hois, who has worked there for 24 years, explained to us.
If you want to find music and lyrics of Christmas carols, or even for poems, Eva is a mine of information.
Not only that, but she has a beautiful voice and will sing carols for you and encourage you to sing too. She can even teach you the fine Austrian art of yodelling!
The Office of Christmas Carols has an abundance of books, sheet music and CDs; plus a wealth of information on carols, traditional songs and popular music from all over the world. It is a remarkable repository of music and culture. Add to that, at this time of year, it’s also full of festive gifts and beautiful decorations.
It is usually situated on third floor of the building but during advent you will find it downstairs in Steirisches Volksliedwerk.
It is open:
Monday-Friday: 9.30am-6pm
Saturday: 9.30am-5pm
It’s not Austria at Christmas without Krampus
If you are not aware of the Krampus, the first thing you need to know is that this brilliantly bonkers Austrian Christmas tradition has to be seen to be appreciated.
Each year on December 5 people dressed as demonic-looking horned monsters visit children at their homes alongside St Nicholas. It is one of the most thrilling days in Austria at Christmas, especially for youngsters.
The Krampus are coming…
Bells jingle upon their approach, but this is not the delicate, joyful sound of sleigh bells, it’s the rough clang of tin bells tied around fur covered waists.
The fur extends the length of their bodies, the Krampus’ costumes covering every inch of human flesh and, once they reach the face, they become terrifying masks. Some would be considered disfigured, others bear gnashing wooden teeth, but all look horrific, their demonic features topped with horns. One has two horns that twist and turn high into the sky, others have four. But all are fearsome.
The Krampus are there for the naughty children, and are armed with a sack, in which, legend has it, they conceal the errant youngsters to take them away to hell – Merry Christmas everyone!
Those who have been good all year have the chance to await St Nicholas’ arrival on December 6, and the beginning of the gift-giving season.
Somehow, though children have been terrified for something like millennia by tales of the Krampus, it is a tradition as beloved as it is old. And in towns and villages all over Austria, the festival is celebrated not only with home visits from Krampus, but a Krampuslauf, or Krampus Run, when they parade through the town’s streets.
These events are as hilariously fun as they are scary. As German thrash metal filled the cool night air, fireworks screeched into the sky to mark the start of the parade.
Soon Krampus, some on chains attached to angels, arrived lurching at bystanders and using gathered birches to beat people’s legs. I was beaten twice at the Krampus Run in Gratwein, a small town just 20 minutes from Graz. They were gentle taps and not painful, but added to the fun and surreal nature of the evening.
At one point, in stark contrast, St Nicholas walked past me in the middle of the monsters – you just have to love an Austrian Christmas tradition.
The crowds love it, the little children were enthralled by it and I want to go back next year to witness this fabulous spectacle all over again.
Light up the season at Lumagica
An unmissable and frankly unforgettable attraction is Lumagica, an immersive light experience at nearby Fröhnleiten, about 30 minutes drive from Graz. Now in its second year, Lumagica is a spectacular visual feast.
Set along a 1.5 kilometre captivating circular route, amid the peaceful setting of Murhof Golf Club, we were transported to a winter wonderland that felt a million miles from everyday life.
To add to the magic, as we began our tantalising trek through the light show, snow started to fall gently and the landscape was transformed into a sparkling white canvas, enhancing the beauty of the lights against the night sky.
Lumagica this year has a theme of Adventure Earth and provides a fascinating journey around the world with a multitude of animals and attractions from various countries and continents. At one point we heard the squeal of monkeys, then the pulsed calls of whales, before we came across penguins shuffling along and wolves howling at the moon, all the while the dazzling lights transported us from the African savannahs to the Australian outback, the wilds of the US to the frozen Arctic and the oceans of the world.
There are also hypnotic laser shows which transfixed us with their beauty and scale. You can even interact with some of the enchanting attractions.
Lumagica takes you on a enthralling journey of discovery and hundreds of magical visual light displays, illuminating creatures and settings from across our magical world.
Before you start or when you finish your visit, there are also Christmas huts in the courtyard to the golf club, where delicious festive drinks, including gluhwein, and snacks are available.
Lumagica promises to ‘take you on a journey that will touch your heart and nourish your soul,’ and they certainly delivered on their promise.
Lumagica is open daily from 4.30pm to 9.30pm, until January 7, 2024. It is closed on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
Entry fees:
Adults from €19
Reduced from €16
Children from €11
(Children under 6 free)
It is advisable to book online due to limited parking, but once there you can stay for as long as the park is open.
An anniversary of art
Take a break from the seasonal festivities to visit Graz’s museum of modern art, Kunsthaus, known locally as the The Friendly Alien. This year it is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and to mark this landmark anniversary the first solo exhibition that was shown at the museum back in 2003 has returned, Sol LeWitt’s work, Wall.
There are an array of other exhibits on display that will challenge, enlighten and educate, and we spent a happy hour there, because whether it be Christmas or not, there is always a huge variety of things to do in Graz.
For now our Austrian Christmas market experience is over, but the memories of Graz’s festive magic will linger.
Where to eat in Graz at Christmastime
The delicious dining we enjoyed in Graz will require my belt to be let out one notch extra – and that’s before Christmas! Graz’s gourmet reputation is played out in an abundance of great restaurants. The popularity for eating out in the city is high so be sure to book a table in advance, especially at Christmas time.
We can recommend the Stainzerbauer restaurant, which serves up choice products from Styria in a seasonal selection of dishes. Housed in a very old building, it has a beautiful character to it. I dined on pan fried fillet of Styrian char, sweet potato cream, cous cous with vegetables and oak choi. While Sarah chose Styrian chicken breast stuffed with chestnuts and brioche, served with black lentil ragout and bread dumpling. This was accompanied by Schilcher wine, hazelnut schnapps and a local delicacy – Styrian pumpkin seed cream liqueur.
The food was a delicious as the restaurant was historic.
The Eckstein, is a more modern eatery, serving excellent food. Service was a bit slow, but to be fair it was very busy that night.
The Landhauskeller is a fabulous restaurant just off the Hauptplatz, where the food and service are first class.
There I had a truly excellent grilled skewer of white catfish and prawn on Asian vegetables and a comforting coconut and young leek rice, while Sarah had crispy duck haunch with apple red cabbage, with caramelised chestnut and pretzel slice.
If you are looking for a magnificent fish restaurant then look no further, El Pescador, it is in my humble opinion one of the best, if not the best restaurant in Graz. The quality of the food is of the highest standard and the tantalising tastes in each dish we tried confirms this.
I started with the fish soup – a tasty tomato and parsley rouille with fish, prawns and mussels. Sarah and I both plumped for the main of shrimp ćevapčići – a typically Balkan dish of minced meat – in this case seafood – with grilled vegetables, rosemary potatoes and yellow ajvar.
Besides the great food, El Pescador has a lovely ambience, delightful staff and is very handily situated in in Landhausgasse, in the centre of Graz.
It is advisable to book well in advance as this is a popular place to eat as its reputation is well known and richly deserved.
Graz is, at other times of the year, a city where people pour out of cafés and bars to soak up the sun and atmosphere in its squares, so it has many great cafés but we did enjoy the quirky Coffee Ride. It’s a small café set under the arches of a building in an old town square and furnished with bicycle seats, the owner Eva brings a super fun approach, deciding we looked like a Linde and an Ernst, so giving us cups with those names. Who Linde and Ernst are, we’re unsure. But it’s a great little place to stop by for a pit-stop if you’ve had enough gluhwein (though she does serve that too).
Where to stay – we recommend
There are numerous quality hotels in Graz and for our first visit we stayed at the five-star Schlossberg Hotel. We liked it immensely, there were very friendly and helpful staff, nice art work throughout, lovely rooms, a spa, an abundant choice of food for breakfast and the bar was open 24 hours a day.
Its location was very convenient, only a five-minute walk to the town centre and one minute to the funicular which takes you to the top of the Schlossberg.
Our second Christmas stay was at the designer Aiola Living Hotel and being in Landhausgasse, it is wonderfully located in the heart of Graz, and so close to many of the landmarks, Christmas markets and locations like the Advent Lounge are right on your doorstep.
Like many of the hotels in Graz it is set in a traditional old town building, which has been beautifully restored. Its rooms, dining area and bar, as well as the reception are throughly modern and of the highest standards. There is a fitness room but unfortunately we didn’t have time to use this.
Aiola is a trendy local brand with various restaurants and bars in the city too. So you can expect accommodations that are accented with designer furnishings and flourishes – from cool chairs to luscious lamps, and the fixtures and fittings are all available for you to purchase at the hotel’s accompanying interiors store on the ground floor of the the building.
The dark parquet flooring, furniture and even granite coloured tiling in the bathrooms leaves the rooms feeling quite dark compared to most hotels, but they are otherwise well thought out and the quality was outstanding. Breakfast was a highlight – alongside a substantial buffet, guests can choose from a menu with many imaginative, healthy and indulgent dishes – from strawberry and yogurt bowls to Mediterranean style baked camemberts and more. We would definitely stay here again.
Austria at Christmas has so much to offer, just as the country does throughout the year. Yet, in Graz, it seems to bring so many of the delights together in one beautiful, accessible and throughly welcoming city.
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