Graz is the capital of Styria and Austria’s second-largest city, with around 308,000 permanent residents. First mentioned in 1128, it developed around the Schlossberg and became an important Habsburg residence during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Its exceptionally well-preserved historic centre, together with Eggenberg Palace, forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combining medieval streets with Renaissance, Baroque and later architecture. The Schlossberg rises directly above the old town and is crowned by the Uhrturm, the city’s best-known landmark, while other notable sights include the Hauptplatz, Graz Cathedral, the futuristic Kunsthaus and the Murinsel in the River Mur. Graz is also a major university city, giving its compact centre a lively population of students, bars and cultural venues. The city has an established underground metal scene and is the birthplace of melodic death/thrash band Darkfall, formed in 1995, and post-black metal project Ellende, founded in 2011.

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