In the city of Graz, capital of the Bundesland Steiermark, in southeastern Austria

 Graz is a vibrant and enchanting city nestled in the heart of Austria:

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(in Austria’s second-largest city) The city of Graz, capital of the Bundesland {federal state) Steiermark, in southeastern Austria,. The country’s second largest city,lies on the Mur River between the Styrian Alps and a wide, fertile basin, the Grazerfeld, about 95 miles (155 km) south-southwest of Vienna. (The name Graz is derived from gradec, a Slavic word meaning “small fortress.”( First mentioned about 1128–29, it received town rights about 1240 and became the center of Steiermark (Styria) during the Middle Ages and the residence of the Leopoldine Habsburgs after 1379. Its fortifications, built in the 15th–16th century, successfully withstood many sieges by the Hungarians and the Turks. Protestantism was established in Graz around 1530 and flourished until oppressive measures by the archduke Karl of Inner Austria (Styria, Carinthia, Carniola) restored the authority of Rome. During the Napoleonic Wars, Graz was held by the French in 1797, 1805, and 1809. A trade center in the 17th and 18th centuries, it developed even more rapidly in the 19th century (through the interest of the archduke Johann) and was constituted a city in 1850.

+ A bevy of universities give the city its lively pace. Baroque palaces are a pleasant contrast with 16th-century courtyards and provocative modern buildings. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, teems with fine architecture, including the Burg castle complex, with its Gothic double staircase, and the graceful Uhrturm (clock tower}. A funicular takes visitors up the dramatic bluff.

+ A beautiful bluff -- connected to the center by steps, a funicular and a glass lift -- is the city's signature attribute. Architecturally, Graz hints at nearby Italy with its Renaissance courtyards and baroque palaces. Yet, there is a youthful energy here too, with a handful of edgily modern buildings, a vibrant arts scene and upbeat, student-fuelled nightlife. This extends to both sides of the Mur River,though the Lend district, across from the historic center, skews young and edgy. Nestled in the southern part of Austria, around an hour’s drive from the Slovenian border, Graz is a beautiful city. Settlements have been present in Graz since the early ages and it has been part of the Hapsburg empire and closely linked with Slovenia. The city has a rich educational history with a prevalent university population and has also been residence to many well-known figures including Nicolai Tesla, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Erwin Schrodinger.