Graz truly is a tale of two cities. The old town lies on the east bank of the River Mur under the lee of the tree-covered Schlossberg. The hill was a medieval fortress until an irate Napoleon demanded its walls be destroyed by the inhabitants; around its base, a harmonious blend of historic architecture ranging from Franciscan simplicity to Habsburgian splendour now houses a well-heeled commercial centre. Until a generation ago, the east bank’s inhabitants rarely felt the need to venture west, and those who lived on the less fancy side of the river were equally self contained, with their own market, the Lendplatz, and their own green space, the Volksgarten; the old city had its opera, but they had a vaudeville theatre, the Orpheum.
