Austria, Graz

Graz is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna and the capital of the federal state of Styria. With a population of 287,723 as of 2006 (of which 250,099 have principal residence status.

Graz has a long tradition as a student city: its six universities have over 40,000 students. Graz's "Old Town" is one of the best-preserved city centers in Central Europe.

Geography

The city is situated on the Mur river, in the south east of Austria. It is approximately 120 miles southwest of Vienna or 2.5 hours by train / 2 hours by car. The nearest larger urban center is Maribor in Slovenia which is about 30 miles away. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.

History

The oldest settlement on the ground of the modern city of Graz dates back to the Copper Age. However, there is no historical continuity of a settlement before the Middle Ages.

The name of the city, and some archeological finds point to the erection of a small castle by South Slavic people (namely Slovenians), which in time became a heavily defended fortification. In Slovenian, 'gradec' literally means "small castle". The German name 'Graz' was first used in 1128, and during this time dukes under Babenberg rule made the town into an important commercial center.

Transportation

An extensive public transportation network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing a tram network consisting of eight lines, two of which run from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) to the old town before branching out.

Graz Airport is about 10 kilometres south of the city centre and has a railway station within walking distance (east of the airport).