Routes · Europe

Sydney to Austria's south: Graz and the South Styrian wine road

Sydney → Graz → South Styria

A red-roofed old town & vineyard hills Best season (general guide): May–Oct

Graz is relaxed, sunny and largely overlooked by international visitors, and south of it lie some of Austria's prettiest wine hills. This route spends three nights in Graz and three on the South Styrian wine road. From Sydney you'll connect via a European or Gulf hub to Graz. UNESCO lists the historic centre of Graz together with Schloss Eggenberg, a baroque palace on the city's edge with painted state rooms.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Graz: day one, the old town; day two, Schlossberg and the Kunsthaus; day three, Eggenberg Palace. Then spend days four to six in South Styria: day four, drive to the wine road; day five, wine taverns and vineyard walks; day six, hilltop villages.

The Schlossberg, a wooded hill in the centre, is topped by a clock tower, the city's emblem, reached by a funicular, a lift or steps. Below it, the bulbous Kunsthaus, a modern art museum, sits on the river bank in contrast to the red-roofed old town. The South Styrian wine road winds along steep vineyards close to the border with Slovenia, with small wine taverns, called Buschenschank, serving local wine and cold platters.

Styria is known for pumpkin seed oil, a dark green oil used on salads and even on ice cream. May to October is the best season, with the harvest and new wine in autumn. Graz's old town was added to the UNESCO list in 1999, and Schloss Eggenberg was added to the same listing in 2010. Graz was a European Capital of Culture in 2003, the year the Kunsthaus opened.

The city is also home to the Landeszeughaus, a historic armoury holding many thousands of weapons and pieces of armour from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In South Styria, the main grape variety is Sauvignon Blanc, and the steep slopes along the Slovenian border are some of the most scenic vineyards in Austria. Many taverns open only on certain days, so check before you set out. Graz's Murinsel is an artificial island in the river Mur, built in steel and glass for 2003.

Safety: Canada's advice for Austria is to exercise normal security precautions (updated 11 Aug 2026), and the US rates Austria Level 1 (21 Aug 2026).

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