Austria's second city and City of Design sounds like a nice destination for a city break. But this Austrian city certainly has more to offer, including for cyclists who want to explore the state of Styria! For CyclingDestination, Amber went in search of the most beautiful road cycling routes around Graz in the Styrian region. Now we are already fans of Austria, but these road bike routes make it even more beautiful.
Text and photos: Amber Middelhoek – Graz Tourismus
City life
Graz is a historic city with a modern, artistic twist. Along the River Mur, you can easily cycle into the city centre. Stop at one of the many stalls on Hauptplatz, for example, or go for an extended stop along one of the many restaurants. For rest days, this city also has plenty to offer. For the best views over the city, climb the Schlossberg (it seems you can also cycle up it). Here you can also have a coffee or lunch 'with a view' at Aiola Upstairs.
Another cool tip: take the slide back down! For modern architecture, be sure to check out the Kunsthaus and the Murinsel. In the surrounding area, you can find many castles, wine farms and beautiful trails for hiking.
Cycling routes around Graz
Nice of course, all about the city, but we came to Styria for cycling. There are good cycle paths in the city, including along the Mur, which will get you out of the city quickly and safely. If you're looking for altimeters, head north; for a relatively flat ride, the south is recommended. We ourselves alternated days with altimeters with relatively flat rides and explored all wind directions around Graz in six rides totalling 500km.
Road cycling routes north of Graz
North of Graz, you'll find the foothills of the Alps. Don't expect big legendary climbs, but rather climbs that are doable. One of our routes went via the Schöckl, a small winter sports area which in summer is home to hikers and mountain bikers. If you take the gondola or climbed all the way to the top by mountain bike you will find a summer toboggan run with great views.
You can also climb a large part of the Schöckl by road bike: climb to the Schöcklkreuz at 1125m altitude. A fun climb over asphalt of about half an hour for fast climbers with sections of over 10%. The descent on the other side is a nice reward!
Also a tip if you cycle north, follow the popular Route R2 along the River Mur. Relatively flat, good tarmac and you pass several castles along the way. Marked with signs, this route runs from Austria through Slovenia and Croatia. The 'Radweg R2' is a route mainly for bikepackers and touring cyclists, but as a road cyclist you can also enjoy fine asphalt and good signposting.
Road cycling routes east of Graz - into the countryside
A nice triangle for a 100km lap with 950 altimeters: Graz, Weiz and Kirchberg. Out of town and in, there may be some climbing: around 200 altimeters at a time according to Climb pro. Once out of Graz, you soon find yourself in the Austrian countryside after these climbs. On the way to Weiz, you cross several small villages. Weiz to Kirchberg is fairly easy cycling: for 30km you are constantly descending at 1 a 2%. Then you are allowed to work hard a few more times before cycling along the outskirts again towards the centre of Graz.
Road cycling routes to the south
Whereas the north contains high altitude metres, south of Graz it is relatively flat. So fine for a long ride or the days when the average speed may be a bit higher for once. Again, you leave the city along the cycle path along the Mur. From the city centre, you first ride through a city park and after about 5km you are already in the quiet Austrian countryside. Surprisingly: there are lots of cornfields through which you cycle.
Also to the south, the R2 cycling route continues and so you roll wonderfully downhill out of town towards Slovenia. In about 80km of cycling you reach the border, which was just a bit too far for us as we would also have to cycle back. A nice round of 100km then, with quiet roads alternating with riding on a relatively busy motorway. Cycle paths are a unique thing: if they are there, they can spontaneously stop or turn into a gravel path. As a cyclist you may then share the road with cars, a brightly coloured jersey is then a good choice to increase visibility.
South of Graz is also the part of the Steiermark wine region. So you cycle past many wineries that mainly brew white. We did not stop for a tasting ourselves, but chose a local wine such as the Welschriesling and Gelber Muskateller at a restaurant in Graz in the evening.
Go West
In the west of Graz, apart from the birthplace of Arnold Schwarzenegger (Thal), we found several short steep climbs and descents. However, the views of the Austrian countryside never bore you. This side of Graz is also home to mostly small villages. A tip: stop at a local bakery for a nusskrone.
Why go:
So Graz is definitely a great destination for a holiday in Austria. Because you are not in a valley, all four wind directions have plenty to offer and you will rarely ride the same roads. For road bikes, there are enough routes for a week of cycling fun.
You can head towards Graz in various ways. Among them by train, but also by car. For more info, check out the site of Graz Tourismus and Styria
Want to know more about cycling in Austria? Then visit our own Cycling in Austria page
