The Crown of Graz. A guide to the imperial core of the city
Imperial Graz: Habsburgs and the City Crown

The Crown of Graz. A guide to the imperial core of the city

Austria’s second city, Graz, was almost unscathed by World War II. Thanks to this, it is still possible to walk through the authentic old town and to see the layering of eras from the early Middle Ages to the Modern Age in the styles of its original buildings. In this article I will talk about one neighborhood that is very important for understanding Graz as a historical and imperial city. This neighborhood is called the «city crown» and is closely associated with the Habsburg dynasty.

«The Crown of the City» (Stadtkrone) of Graz is located at the foot of the Schlossberg — Castle Hill. The area consists of four monumental buildings: the Gothic Cathedral, the Habsburg Mausoleum with the 17th century St. Catherine’s Church, the old Jesuit University and the Burg — Castle of Graz. The dome of the Mausoleum visually crowns the old town and demonstrates the imperial ambitions of the Habsburgs.

«The Crown of Graz» — the imperial district

This complex of buildings is intertwined with the Habsburg imperial dynasty. The concentration and fusion of secular and spiritual power in this place is considered unique in Austria: such an architectural ensemble, developed over several centuries of dynastic rule, is not found in any other capital city in the region.

The neighborhood is small and all the sights are concentrated nearby. A leisurely stroll through the streets, a look at the cathedral and mausoleum, a rest in the park under the Burg walls and a lunch on Karmeliterplatz square — all together will take 2—3 hours.

On the schematic map of the «Crown of Graz», landmarks are separated by color. Red markers are castle buildings (Burg) with the years of their construction. Blue marks religious buildings: cathedral, mausoleum, seminary and related buildings. And green marks the university.

"Crown of Graz": castle, churches and university
«Crown of Graz»: castle, churches and university

What does this have to do with the Habsburgs?

The Habsburg dynasty is one of the oldest among European monarchies. The first documented information from the 10th century suggests that the family originated from Switzerland. At the end of the XIII century Habsburg already occupied the throne of the king of Germany and annexed Austria and Styria, then still duchies. In the fourteenth century, the Habsburgs also conquered Carinthia and Tyrol, which is how the borders of modern Austria began to take shape.

Beginning in the mid-15th century, when the Austrian and Styrian Duke Frederick V was elected Holy Roman Emperor (under the name Frederick III), Graz began to boom. Subsequent generations of Habsburgs ruled the Empire almost uninterruptedly from Vienna, but a sprinkling of luxury hit Styria as well.

The letters AEIOU are written on several facades of Burg — Emperor Frederick III wrote them on all the buildings he erected, and they are also in the cathedral. This sign facilitates the work of researchers, although they are still puzzling over its meaning. According to one version, it is an anagram for «The whole land belongs to Austria».

Grazer Burg and the double spiral staircase (Doppelwendeltreppe)

In 1438, Friedrich, then Duke of Styria, decided to build a new residence in Graz. All Habsburg residences were called «Hofburg», and since Graz already had an older Burg («castle») on a hill, it was renamed Schloss — «palace». This is how Schlossberg got its name.

The new castle was located at the foot of the hill and had more representative functions than the old one, but its defense capability was much lower. For this reason, it was connected to the Schlossberg castle by a passage.

Frederick’s son, Emperor Maximilian I, continued the construction work in the new Burg and left one of the main Gothic staircases of Europe to his descendants. The double spiral staircase (Doppelwendeltreppe) has two flights of stairs: they diverge in opposite directions, join on a common platform, diverge again and join again. The architectural masterpiece from 1499 is often interpreted as a symbol of eternity. Because of the principle of separation and reunion, such staircases were called «reconciliation staircases» and were quite rare. Two-scroll staircases have survived in other cities, but the Graz staircase is considered particularly beautiful.

  • Admission is free.
  • Open daily from 07:30 to 20:00.

Graz Castle is now the residence of the Governor of Styria. It adjoins the former city wall and the present city park. On one wall of the courtyard, a wall niche with an original Gothic painting from the 13th century can be seen under a glass panel.

The Gothic staircase is located in this tower in the Burg
The Gothic staircase is located in this tower in the Burg’s courtyard
The best view of the staircase is from its top landing
The best view of the staircase is from its top landing
These steps are over 500 years old. Yeah, they
These steps are over 500 years old. Yeah, they’re real
The architect of 1499 didn
The architect of 1499 didn’t bother at all how posterity would photograph this staircase

Burgtor Gate

Of the 11 ancient city gates in Graz, two have survived. One of them is the Burgtor, or castle gate. It is remarkable because from the city side it looks like a simple Gothic gate, but from the outside it looks like a Renaissance gate.

For more than 300 years — from 1479 to 1784 — the gates were never opened. Since it was directly adjacent to the castle and enemies were always waiting outside the city walls of Graz — the city was on the front line of endless conflicts with the Turks and Hungarians — the gates were closed for security reasons.

Today, the outside of the gate is a quiet and beautiful city park. The Promenade Café in front of the castle gates is a reminder of turbulent times — it was the former gatekeeper’s lodge.

Gothic facade of the Burgtor Tower from the inner side of the city
Gothic facade of the Burgtor Tower from the inner side of the city

St. Aegidius Cathedral (Dom und Kathedralkirche zum Hl. Ägydius)

The new castle needed a new church, so a new church was built in 1438 on the site of an older church from the 12th century by order of Frederick III, which was connected to the imperial castle by a passage (it has not survived). The court church was dedicated to the same St. Aegidius, the patron saint of Graz and the whole of Styria.

At the time of construction, the church was not planned as a cathedral, so it was given a relatively restrained architecture. Moreover, it was built as a fortified fort, which is evidenced by the small ridge tower, which is absolutely utilitarian.

View of the cathedral from the Burg
View of the cathedral from the Burg’s window
The facade on the city side
The facade on the city side

During the Gothic period, the exterior walls were covered with paintings. One of the fragments is preserved on the south wall: the fresco Gottesplagenbild («God’s Plagues»). It is believed to have been paid for by the citizens of Graz in 1480, when the city was hit simultaneously by 3 calamities: the Turks, the plague and the locust invasion. The fresco is behind glass to minimize destruction.

Of the exterior decorations from the Gothic period, the portal has been preserved. The statues of saints in the niches were replaced later, so they differ in style. This gate is not functioning now, the entrance to the church is on the Burg side and on the side of the mausoleum.

Gothic portal
Gothic portal

At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the church was given to the Jesuits, who rebuilt the interior in Baroque style and added lavishly decorated chapels. Since 1786 it has been the cathedral, i.e. the episcopal and main Catholic church of Styria.

The interior, especially the central altar, impresses with its Jesuit immodesty, and the cathedral is filled with Baroque masterpieces. St. Aegidius is depicted on the main canvas behind the altar, and above him is the scene of the coronation of the Virgin Mary by Jesus.

The Jesuits, who owned the church for almost 200 years, spared no expense on splendor: the main altar, pulpit, choir and pews. Among the most valuable treasures of the cathedral are two reliquary chests to the left and right of the entrance to the altar with ivory inlay. These chests served as the dowry of a noble bride from Padua, and later the Jesuits in Graz inherited them and used them as repositories for the relics of Christian saints.

It is a great fortune that the interior retains traces of previous eras. The frescoes in the church date from the time of Emperor Frederick III — the Gothic period — and his own portrait with the Styrian crown is depicted as St. Christopher. The church houses a masterpiece of late Gothic painting: Konrad Laib’s painting «Kreuzigung im Gedräng» («Crucifixion») measuring almost 3*3 meters.

Under solemn Gothic vaults - a celebration of luxury
Under solemn Gothic vaults — a celebration of luxury
Behind the pulpit you can see the remains of a fresco - Emperor Frederick in the image of Christopher
Behind the pulpit you can see the remains of a fresco — Emperor Frederick in the image of Christopher
Gothic paintings have been preserved on the ceiling
Gothic paintings have been preserved on the ceiling
Even the pews for the congregation are very expensive
Even the pews for the congregation are very expensive
Church or palace - it
Church or palace — it’s not immediately obvious

St. Catherine’s Church and Mausoleum of Kaiser Ferdinand II (Katharinenkirche und Mausoleum Kaiser Ferdinand II)

The apotheosis of imperial ambitions in Graz is right next to the cathedral. The small but elegant St. Catherine’s Church (Katharinenkirche) and the attached chapel and shrine of the imperial family is a monument of European importance. This complex with turquoise domes is one of the most important symbols of the Counter-Reformation in Austria. They are very different in architecture from the neighboring cathedral and the Burg because they were built a century and a half or two centuries later and belong to Mannerism, a late Renaissance style transitional to the Baroque.

In 1614 Ferdinand II commissioned his court painter and architect to build a mausoleum and the adjoining church of St. Catherine on the site of the older church and tomb. The complex was to be one of the most important buildings of the early 17th century in Austria and to confirm Ferdinand’s claim to the imperial crown. The pedimented statue of St. Catherine, patroness of sciences and universities, faces the University of Graz, founded in 1585 by Archduke Charles II, the father of Ferdinand II.

The Mannerist façade of the church is full of rich small details, and St. Catherine
The Mannerist façade of the church is full of rich small details, and St. Catherine’s is turned toward the university

In 1619 Ferdinand became emperor and left for Vienna, so the construction of the Mausoleum stalled, but according to his will he was buried in this tomb in 1637 — although it was unfinished at the time. Only 50 years later, his grandson, Emperor Leopold I, commissioned a young artist from Graz to design the interior, who later became the famous Austrian Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. Taking care of his grandfather, Leopold I also incorporated himself into the interior of the church: the frescoes on the ceiling illustrate the liberation of Vienna from the Turks in 1683, glorifying Leopold I as the great victor of the infidels, although he fled Vienna in time to return only after their retreat.

The mausoleum consists of the cross-shaped church of St. Catherine and an oval tomb: the oval here is a symbol of resurrection. In the center of the chapel is a sculptural composition of the Holy Sepulchre: Jesus is lying on a pedestal with his feet facing the viewer, with bloody wounds gaping in them.

The imperial graves themselves are in the crypt under the chapel. Only Ferdinand II’s mother is buried in a red marble sarcophagus with fully three-dimensional reclining figures of his parents. And the graves of Ferdinand II, his first wife and their son are in the wall and marked with inscription plaques.

A colored marble altar
A colored marble altar
The imperial eagle under the dome - as a symbol of the divinity of power
The imperial eagle under the dome — as a symbol of the divinity of power
The chapel above the crypt
The chapel above the crypt
The oval dome over the tomb chapel is the first of its kind built outside of Italy
The oval dome over the tomb chapel is the first of its kind built outside of Italy

Diocesan Museum (Diözesanmuseum)

Opposite the cathedral is the Museum of the Styrian Catholic Church. It houses the treasures of the diocese and hosts temporary exhibitions — including the annual Christmas exhibition of the historic manger.

  • Tues — Fri from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Admission: adults — 6 €, children — 2 €.
  • Website

Court Bakery Edegger-Tax (Hofbäckerei Edegger-Tax)

The imperial court has been gone for over 100 years, but the court bakery Edegger-Tax is still in operation. It is not part of the «urban crown of Graz», but it is closely associated with the court and is located near Burg — in the «inner city» area. That’s why I’ve included it in this itinerary and suggest stopping by for a traditional Austrian pastry or a cookie with the Frederick III logo.

The Edegger-Tax Bakery is the oldest family bakery in Graz and one of the oldest in Austria. It first appears in documents in 1569 and its history dates back to the 14th century. At first it was on a different street, but since 1880 it has been in its present location at Hofgasse 6.

In 1883, Franz Taks supplied baked goods for the imperial court during the stay of Emperor Franz Joseph I in Graz. In 1888, Taks was awarded the title of Imperial Court Baker and with it the right to use the imperial double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of Austria-Hungary. Thanks to the oak wooden portal with this eagle, it is impossible to pass by the bakery without noticing it.

  1. The bakery is open weekdays and Saturday mornings only. Closed on Sunday.
  2. You can evaluate the range and prices on the bakery’s website.
The imperial eagle appeared on the facade 20 years before the fall of the monarchy
The imperial eagle appeared on the facade 20 years before the fall of the monarchy
An "inner city" street a stone
An «inner city» street a stone’s throw from the cathedral and the Burg

Karmeliterplatz square (Karmeliterplatz)

You can end your walk through the «Graz Crown» at the Carmelite Square, where the ascent to the Schlossberg begins.

A rather large square was laid out in the 16th century because the town needed to expand. The main building was the Carmelite monastery — now the Styrian State Archives.

There is an interesting fountain on the square — square in shape, with water slowly flowing out of it. I have not been able to find the meaning of this modern structure, but the townspeople clearly like it — they take off their shoes and walk around the knee-deep square pool. Perhaps it is an unconscious longing of the former empire for its maritime past.

At the head of the fountain is a column with a sculptural group at the top — the Trinity Column. It was presented to the city by Emperor Leopold I in 1680 after the end of the plague and was initially located on the main square, but due to the expansion of the city it was moved to Karmeliterplatz.

This square is also where the ascent to Schlossberg, the castle hill, begins. The gate behind the Trinity Column is the only way up to the top for cars.

Carmeliteerplatz could be a great location for a tourist to stay — a quiet area, just a stone’s throw away from the bustling center with bars and clubs. However, there are hardly any hotels around Karmeliterplatz, as well as near Burg. Right on the square there is a good chain hotel of 4* level NH Graz City.

From 90 € for a double room
Hotel room at the 4* NH Graz City on Karmeliterplatz
Styrian provincial archive in the former monastery building
Styrian provincial archive in the former monastery building
Behind the Trinity Column is the passage to the Schlossberg. The roof of its Clock Tower can be seen to the left behind the building
Behind the Trinity Column is the passage to the Schlossberg. The roof of its Clock Tower can be seen to the left behind the building