Ok, so now you have had a nice lunch and maybe some wine. From Sporgasse, turn right onto
Hofgasse. Here you find the
Hofbäckerei Edegger-Tax. This was the court bakery. It has a beautiful door with decorative woodwork more than 100 years old. If you didn’t stop for lunch, you can enjoy a nice coffee here. There is also a shop where you can buy some nice biscuits to take home as souvenirs. A type of cinnamon biscuit is traditional, but I forget the name.
At the end of Hofgasse, on the left, is the Burg from the 15th century. There isn’t too much to see here now; it is a government building. At the back of the car park, you can find a grassy area with many trees and bust statues of famous people from Graz. I didn’t recognise many of the names, but it is a quiet place in a busy city. In the courtyard is an archway. In the doorway here, you can find Graz’s famous double staircase. It is made from stone and begins together at the bottom. As it moves up, it becomes a spiral to both the left and the right. It meets together again, then divides and meets, making double twists several times. It’s a really interesting sight, and I have never seen something like this before.
Back on Hofgasse, turn right on Burggasse, where you find the Domkirche. On the outside walls on the Domkirche, you can see painted pictures showing life in Graz in the plagues of 1480. They are mostly faded, but some are clear. The inside of the building has some nice things to see, but you find many tour groups here, so it can be difficult to see for yourself. I was there at the same time as a group of Spanish students, about 14 years old, of more than 30 and who were very noisy. I didn’t stay too long.
The Mausoleum of Ferdinand II is next to the Domkirche. If you want to see inside, you must time your visit well. It opens only for 4 hours each day, from 10am to noon and 2 to 4pm. The ticket costs 4€, which I thought it was quite expensive. The crypt underground is where Ferdinand, his wife, and his son are buried. Also here is a sarcophagus for his parents, Charles II and Maria. Charles is not actually buried here; he is at Seckau Abbey. From inside the crypt, there is a hole in the ceiling where you can see to the room above. This room has many beautiful and extravagant paintings to see on the ceiling and walls. Upstairs is a lookout room. From here you can see over the red roofs of Graz and also to the Schlossberg.
After the Mausoleum, walk past the Domkirche on to Bügergasse, where you will see a small street leading to Glockenspielplatz. The Glockenspiel plays at 11am, 3pm, and 6pm, so you need to time the visit.
From journal Enchanting Graz