Dom & Mausoleum Graz
The Graz city crown
Together with the Burg and the Priests' Seminary, the Cathedral and Mausoleum form the so-called Graz “city crown” — the architectural ensemble that rises above the historic centre and has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1999. Within a compact area, spiritual and secular power, Gothic and early Baroque, former residence city and present day intersect.
While the Cathedral surprises with its restrained façade, the Mausoleum sets a visible accent in the cityscape with its turquoise domes.
Graz Cathedral
Gothic at the heart of the city
Graz Cathedral was built in the 15th century as the court church of Emperor Frederick III and continues to serve as the city’s spiritual centre. Its façade appears restrained, yet a preserved fresco — the so-called Gottesplagenbild — recalls the year 1480 and a period of political and social upheaval.
Inside, Gothic architecture meets baroque furnishings. The high altar, pulpit and choir stalls date from the Jesuit period and continue to shape the space. Light, proportion and material create a focused atmosphere in which history is not displayed, but carried forward.
Gothic and Baroque in dialogue.
Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II
Early Baroque architecture with a distant view
Directly beside the Cathedral rises the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, with its distinctive domes. Designed by the court artist Giovanni Pietro de Pomis, the building is among the earliest Baroque centralised structures outside Italy and shapes the silhouette of the Graz city crown.
St Catherine’s Church and the crypt chapel below combine representative architecture with imperial commemoration. The dome landscape sets a visible accent within the cityscape and, together with the Cathedral, the Burg and the Priests' Seminary, forms the characteristic ensemble above the rooftops of the old town.
Facts worth knowing
City crown and UNESCO
- Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg”
- Central ensemble comprising the Cathedral, the Burg, the Mausoleum, the Priests' Seminary and the Old University
- Significant example of early Baroque architecture in Austria
- The Gottesplagenbild of 1480 on the Cathedral façade
Cathedral & Mausoleum: FAQs
The term “Graz city crown” refers to the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral, the Burg, the Mausoleum, the Priests' Seminary and the Old University. It forms the historic centre of political and religious authority in the city.
They form part of the protected historic centre of Graz, which documents the city’s development across several centuries.
The fresco commemorates the year 1480, when war, plague and locusts were interpreted as a divine trial.
Yes. It is open during regular opening hours and can also be explored as part of guided tours.
