Tips for living in Graz

Herrengasse is the main shopping street in Graz. There are several shopping malls in Graz and on the outskirts, all of which can be reached by public transportation.

• Citypark, Lazarettgürtel 55, A-8020 Graz. To get there, you take bus #35 from Jakominiplatz.
• Kastner & Öhler, Sackstraße 7–13 (next to Hauptplatz) is the only department store downtown. Prices range from reasonable to exorbitant, of course, depending on what you buy.
• Murpark, Ostbahnstraße 3, 8041 Graz. To get there, you take tram #4 to the last stop (Liebenau – Murpark).
• Shopping Center Nord, Wiener Straße 365, 8051 Graz. To get there, you take bus #52 from the main train station to Shopping-Nord.
• Shopping Center West and IKEA, Weblingergürtel 25, A-8054 Graz. To get there, you take tram #5 to the last stop (Puntigam Bahnhof). From there either take bus #65 or walk up to the shopping center and IKEA.
• Shopping City Seiersberg, Shopping City Seiersberg 1-9, 8055 Seiersberg. To get there, you take tram # 5 to the last stop (Puntigam Bahnhof). Bus #78 then takes you to the shopping center.

DM stores (‘Drogeriemärkte’) and BIPA sell toiletry articles and cosmetics at inexpensive prices.

LIBRO and PAGRO are chain stores specialized on office supplies and books.

SPAR and BILLA are grocery stores; HOFER, LIDL and PENNY MARKT are grocery (discount) stores with weekly specials. Very popular places to shop for fruits and vegetables are the local farmers’ markets, most of which are open all morning six days a week. The two largest ones are the Kaiser-Joseph-Platz (opposite the opera house) and the one on Lendplatz.

Generally, stores are open Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. (and closed on Sundays). If you urgently need something outside opening hours you can go to the stores listed below:

• Spar, in HAUPTBAHNHOF (main train station); open daily until 10 p.m.
• Spar, at Graz Airport; open daily until 9 p.m.
• Spar, Hans-Sachs-Gasse 14; open Mo – Sat until 9 p.m.

It is normal for students to often yearn for some time out to clear their heads and to briefly switch off and get away from all their lectures, books and work. Graz offers a whole plethora of possibilities for students to recharge their batteries, to do something with their friends or just simply to have fun.

Do you fancy taking a cosy walk amongst nature, having an outdoor picnic or going for a quick jog? Nothing could be easier thanks to the Graz City Park (Grazer Stadtpark) in the city centre, not far from the university quarter, which is open all year round.

Numerous walkways and pedestrian zones beckon you to discover the beauty of the city first-hand whilst drinking in fresh air. During the warm summer months, you can cool down in Graz’ open air swimming pools or surrounding bathing lakes.

Even when the weather is miserable you need not to be bored as there is still plenty to do! Seven cinemas dotted around the city screen a broad selection of Austrian and international films. Graz’ theatres (Graz Opera, Schauspielhaus theatre, Next Liberty youth theatre, etc…) are always worth a visit and show exactly why Graz has quite rightly made a name for itself on the culture scene. Tickets are available in the respective ticket offices at reduced prices for students.

“Night owls” are also widely catered for. Whether sipping a cocktail in a cosy pub in the old town, mingling at a student party in the university quarter or clubbing in trendy event locations, Graz’ students are most definitely able to party the night away!

The Graz region and Styria are a beloved excursion destination thanks to their well-kept green areas and wealth of forests. In the autumn months, the Weinstraße (wine route) in southern Styria provides the opportunity of getting better acquainted with Styria’s stunning countryside and mouth-watering culinary diversity.

Grazer Schöckl – Graz’ mountain landmark – is situated just a few kilometres away from the heart of the city. At 1,445 metres above sea level, visitors are able to drink in the best quality air, enjoy the breathtaking views and, in winter, experience the valley on skis or on a snowboard.

From volleyball to paragliding, from sport climbing to salsa – students in Graz have no excuse for not keeping both their mind and their body in shape.

With over 300 courses on offer, the Graz University Sport Institute (Grazer Universitätssportinstitut – USI) gives students the chance to meet their peers, to forge new social contacts and, most importantly, to keep fit.

Thanks to the wide range of courses, students can play sport on a regular basis, enjoy their hobbies or even to try their hand at something new at very reasonable prices. Ski lessons at Planneralm ski resort, activity wellness weeks in the summer time, or university championships held for a variety of sports are all particular favourites organised by USI.

Upon presentation of a valid student ID card, students can register for courses and excursions at the USI Office in the main building of the University of Graz.

Visit the USI website for a list of all courses and other important information.

Over and above USI’s sporting activities, Graz and the surrounding area are simply bursting with leisure possibilities. A large number of different cycle paths lead cyclists far and beyond the city limits, notably including the much loved Murradweg which is 365 km long.

For Styrians there is one clear leitmotiv in the winter – “Aufi auf’n Berg!” – “Head for the mountains!” Countless ski resorts can be reached from Graz by car in less than an hour. Schöckl – Graz’ mountain landmark – is ideal for ski and snowboard beginners to get started and is situated in close vicinity of the city. Hebalm, Salzstiegl, Präbichl and Planneralm are other popular ski resorts nearby. All 86 ski resorts and ski lifts can be viewed at a glance by visiting http://www.bergfex.com/

Living costs depend essentially on the type of accommodation and lifestyle of each individual student.

The following overview aims to present an estimation prepared by OeAD (Österreichischer Austauschdienst – the Austrian Agency for international mobility and cooperation in education) of approximate living costs per student per month. The figures given are average estimates and are in no way binding.

• Accommodaton expenses (incl. additional costs) – € 320,-
• Food – € 240,-
• Study and personal expenses, books, culture, free time – € 290,-

Total/month – € 850,-

At lunch time, you can have a snack at the cafeteria of the CAMPUS 02. In addition, you can go for lunch to the cantine in the WIFI building in front of CAMPUS 02. Moreover, the refectory of the University of Graz at the Sonnenfelsplatz, the Café Global of the Katholischen Hochschulgemeinde in Leechgasse as well as the cafeteria in the RESOWI building

Thanks to the numerous tram, bus and night bus routes of the Holding Graz, every part of the city is easily to reach. Tickets for the public transport in Graz can be purchased in busses from the driver, in trams at the ticket machine, as well as at the ticket offices (e.g. tobacconist) or at the mobility centre.

Individual route planners, route maps as well as other information on public transport in Graz are available on the Holding Graz website (only in German). The mobility centre is located in Jakoministraße 1 and is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00, and on Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00.

Overview of rates for zone 101 (as of July 2016)

• One-hour-ticket:        €   2,20
• 24-hours-ticket          €   5,00
• Weekly ticket:            € 14,20
• Monthly ticket:           € 47,10

Austrian Railways’ (ÖBB) trains ferry you to destinations outside of the city and enable you to travel across Austria. The VORTEILSCARD  issued by ÖBB offers price reductions of up to 50% to students under 26 years of age. This card is issued at customer service counters in Graz’s main railway station (Europaplatz) upon presentation of a photograph and official ID card.

More information, timetables as well as offers can be found on the following website: http://www.oebb.at/en