The sun blazes down on a red-tiled medieval roofscape. Outdoor tables and chairs and street performers hint at a lively café culture and a burgeoning arts scene.
“The Guardian” famously described Graz, capital of the Austrian region of Styria, as “Vienna’s cooler little sister”.
As a resident of Vienna who subscribes to Oscar Wilde’s aphorism that “comparisons are odious” I can’t comment on that. But coming back to Graz recently after more than 30 years away, I was struck by the way that the city, which for decades was hemmed in between the mountains and the Iron Curtain, has blossomed since the opening-up of Eastern Europe after 1989.
Styria has long-established connections with the UK. British occupying forces from 1945-1955 were popular for their even-handedness; and the powerful automotive cluster in Graz, where the new electric Jaguar I-Pace will be built, has such strong links with the growing UK automotive sector in the English Midlands that the city has a regular flight connection with Birmingham.
My recent visit included AVL-LIST, an influential automotive technology company with 1,500 patents and 8,600 employees, including 400 in the UK where they have plans to expand. Their technology is truly impressive.
I also visited the extensive plant of Siemens Mobility Austria – another impressive Austrian speciality engineering company with major UK interests.
I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet leading political figures in Graz, including the provincial governor, Hermann Schützenhöfer; the Mayor, Siegfried Nagl; and the Deputy Mayor Elke Kahr. The combination of politics, business and culture adds up to a rich mix – a vibrant and lively city full of economic potential and links to the UK. I noted those links on a visit to the Kleine Zeitung. The newspaper has the second biggest circulation in Austria and is headquartered in Graz, although I also called on their office in Klagenfurt when I was there recently.
Like many Austrian cities, Graz has an ancient medieval core where thick-walled buildings with arched roofs and cellars seem mysteriously both snug in winter and cool in summer. I look forward to returning to explore further what this terrific city has to offer.