Protected Zones

The urban districts that shape the cityscape of Graz with their scenery and architectural characteristics are to be preserved in their appearance, in their building structure and building fabric as well as in their diverse urban function. To this end, protection zones have been defined in the Styrian State Law on the Preservation of the Historic Town of Graz.

 Protection zone I covers approx. 1 km² of the city: the historic centre within the former Renaissance fortification with Schlossberg, and parts of the old suburban areas west of the city centre (Murvorstadt). This zone corresponds to the UNESCO World Heritage Zone of Graz and represents the historic city centre.

 Protection zone II covers approx. 0.8 km² of the city; it includes the areas where the city was expanded before the Gründerzeit era; it is partly identical to the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Zone of Graz.

 Protection zone III covers an area of approximately 4.7 km² and includes the wider urban area along both sides of the river Mur that was expanded during the Gründerzeit era.

 Protection zone IV (1-13) covers the former historic suburbs including Eggenberg Palace and parts of the connecting axis between the UNESCO World Heritage Core Zones of the Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg. This zone covers an area of 2 km².

 Protection zone V is the area around the Calvary complex that is under monument protection.

Since 1 January 2020, the exclusive residential areas of the Waltendorf and St. Peter districts have been defined as protection zone VI 1-2.

 
Outside the specified protection zones, the townscape protection provisions of the Styrian Building Code (Sec. 43, par. 3) apply that are enforced by Graz Municipality. Please use the AGIS system to find out if your building is located within a protection zone.