UNESCO World Heritage Site
Between baroque grandeur and Mediterranean ease, Graz captivates with a UNESCO-listed Old Town and the magnificent Schloss Eggenberg.
Since 1999, Graz’s historic center has held UNESCO World Heritage status — recognized for its remarkably well-preserved architecture and the seamless blend of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary design. In 2010, Schloss Eggenberg joined the list, adding another architectural masterpiece to the city’s cultural treasures. Together, they reflect a place where history isn’t frozen in time, but woven effortlessly into everyday life — shaped by Italian influences, imperial elegance, and a vibrant, creative spirit.
Beyond the city, the UNESCO heritage story continues at the Lipizzaner Stud Farm in Piber. Here, the world-famous white Lipizzaner horses are bred for Vienna’s Spanish Riding School — keeping centuries-old equestrian tradition alive in the heart of the Graz Region.
UNESCO World Heritage Graz at a glance:
- The historic city centre of Graz has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999
- Eggenberg Palace has been part of the World Heritage Site since 2010
- Unique blend of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and modern architecture
- Eggenberg Palace: 24 state rooms and symbolic architecture
- Famous detail: 365 windows, representing the days of the year
View of the old town | © Graz Region | studio draussen
Baroque Facade in Graz Old Town | © Graz Region | studio draussen
Stroll through Graz’s Old Town | © Graz Region | studio draussen
Did you know that Schloss Eggenberg has over 365 windows, symbolically representing the days of a year?
Graz Oldtown
Mediterranean flair in the heart of Europe
Graz’s Old Town is distinguished by its red-tiled rooftops, artistically designed façades, and a unique atmosphere reminiscent of Italian cities. This combination lends Graz a special charm and makes the city a popular travel destination. The Schlossberg with its iconic Clock Tower offers a breathtaking view over the city and forms a central element of Graz’s cityscape.
Red-tiled roofs, artistically designed façades and narrow alleyways shape the cityscape and give Graz a flair reminiscent of Italian cities. The Schlossberg, with its Clock Tower, offers sweeping views over the historic city centre and makes the city’s organically evolved urban structure, with its visual axes, clearly visible.
The World Heritage area covers around 91 hectares and is complemented by a buffer zone of approximately 242 hectares. This protects both the historic building fabric and the spatial relationships within the city.
Schloss Eggenberg
A baroque masterpiece
Schloss Eggenberg, the most important Baroque palace complex in Styria, was built from 1625 under the patronage of Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg. The palace captivates visitors with its symbolic architecture, conceived as a representation of the universe, and houses 24 state rooms with original furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Of particular note is the Planetary Hall, renowned for its unique cycle of ceiling paintings. Since 2010, Eggenberg Palace has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
24 state rooms with original furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries offer insight into this concept. The Planetary Room, with its extensive ceiling painting cycle, is one of the palace’s central rooms.
Together with the historic city centre, Eggenberg Palace forms a connected World Heritage ensemble. The connection is not only historical, but also reflected in deliberately designed visual axes and urban relationships.
Lipizzaner Stud Piber
UNESCO-Wold heritage
The Lipizzaner stud farm in Piber is home to the world-famous white horses that have been bred for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna since 1920. Every year, around 40 to 50 foals are born – an experience that attracts visitors from all over the world. The knowledge of breeding the noble Lipizzaner horses has been recognised by UNESCO as "national intangible cultural heritage" and underlines the close connection between culture, history and living tradition in Piber.
Knowledge relating to the breeding, keeping and training of Lipizzaner horses has been recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. It represents a tradition that is still passed on today and is closely connected with the history of the region.
Every year, around 40 to 50 foals are born in Piber. The stud farm offers insights into this form of cultural heritage and adds a living cultural dimension to the UNESCO World Heritage in Graz.
