Regions and Cities 

Everyday Life

Social Affairs

Styria can be divided into seven large regions , which are comprised of 13 individual districts. Each region has its own character and unique charm.

Life in Styria is just a bliss — this is how you could summarise the results of multiple surveys. According to a study of the bmm institute, 85% of Styrians rate their quality of life as good to very good, 95% describe Styria as an excellent living environment and 97% like living in the province. 83% are satisified with their jobs and 84% like the holiday and leisure activities offered in Styria.
The same goes for people living in Styria’s capital: According to a study conducted by the EU on the quality of life in different European cities, 96% of Graz’s citizens like or love living in the city, 79% are satisfied with public transport and even 93% rate the city’s health system and cultural activities as good or very good.

Let’s jump straight to the greatest advantage Styria has to offer: Whether you are renting or buying, the living costs are the lowest in all of Austria. There is, however, a difference between the living costs in the city and in the countryside. While buying an object in Murau costs 2,000 euros per square metre, it costs almost 4,500 euros in Graz. The same is valid for renting flats (in German). Small flats are generally more expensive per square metre than big ones. Added to the rent are operating costs (approx. € 2.24 per m²), heating costs (approx. € 1.20 per m²) and costs for electricity (depending on the consumption), for household insurance, the internet, television and telephone as needed.

In Austria, school is compulsory for nine years for all children from the age of six. Every Styrian child receives a fixed and free place at a public school. Compulsory schooling starts with four years of primary school and continues with four years of secondary school. After the first eight years of school, children can choose from many different career paths, ranging from another year of school and subsequent apprenticeship to secondary technical or vocational schools with different foci and a subsequent degree programme at one of the five universities, two universities of applied sciences or two university colleges of teacher education in Styria:

• University of Graz
• Technical University Graz
• Medical University Graz 
• University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
• Montanuniversität Leoben
• University of Applied Sciences Joanneum
• Campus 02 University of Applied Sciences
• University College of Teacher Education Graz
• Private University College of Teacher Education Augustinum

Get an overview of the Austrian education system.

Wether you are a nature lover, adventure seeker, sporting traveller or retreating to recharge. Styria offers something for everyone. Here is just an extract of leisure activities you can do in Styria:

• Get in the saddle and cycle through the province (in German)
• Explore Styria’s breathtaking nature on foot
• Climb lofty peaks, take a dip or admire art — there is a smorgarsbord of activities and destinations to choose from
• Discover Styria’s culinary delights and culture against the background of the wine-covered slopes of the Weinstraßen
• Make your way through the cave complex Lurgrotte (in German) to discover spectacular karst formations
• Take a dip and recharge your batteries in Styria’s thermal spas (in German)
• For thrill-seekers and if you prefer holiday activities outside the norm (in German)
• Have a great night out experiencing Graz’s buzzing nightlife (in German)
• For more information on Styria’s exciting capital Graz
• For more information on the Green Heart of Austria

Ranging from international fashion houses through weekly farmers markets and shopping centers to traditional department stores — Styria definitely does not fall short when it comes to shopping destinations. Buy everyday food and products in supermarkets, which are normally open from 7 am to 6 pm; in cities, they often have longer opening hours. All other shops, such as fashion boutiques and book stores, usually open around 9 am. In general, all shops and supermarkets are closed on Sundays with a few exceptions at important infrastructural interfaces. Located in Graz, the oldest department store in Austria, Kastner & Öhler (in German), invites shoppers to a relaxing shopping day out. With an array of 200 different shops, Shopping City Seiersberg (in German) is Styria’s largest shopping centre.

Styria has a dense and extensive road network (in German). In Austria, the speed limit on motorways is 130 km/h, on expressways and federal roads 100 km/h and on roads in residential areas either 50 or 30 km/h.

Styria’s railway network is also impressive and far from inefficient: There are hundreds of kilometres of railway transversing the province to ensure smooth transport of passengers and goods by train. The most important connections are handled by the Austrian rail company ÖBB with the S-Bahn for local transport and the RegioBahn for regional transport. With a punctuality rate of 97%, 44,000 passengers are not only transported to their destinations safely each day, but also on time.

Most bigger cities in Styria offer buses as public transport. In Graz, you can also hop on the tram to get to places.

Visit www.verbundlinie.at to calculate the fastest individual routes for destinations in Styria using public transport.

Thanks to a comprehensive social system, Styrians enjoy a high level of social security. In Austria, compulsory insurance applies to all citizens. This means that all Austrian citizens are insured automatically under certain circumstances. Some family members, for example, may be insured without having to pay fees. Compulsory insurance comprises health, accident and pension coverage.

If you lose your job temporarily, the Public Employment Service Austria provides advice, vocational training and placement support. If a jobseeker has already worked in the EU in the past two years for at least 52 weeks and in Austria for at least a day, they are not just entitled to professional advice, but also to unemployment allowance.

In Styria, families are given special attention: Each family receives financial support in the form of family allowance for each child until its 19^th birthday as well as childcare allowance for young children. Pupils and students are granted a reduced ticket price for using public transport. To the delight of the families’ wallets, they can apply for the Styrian Family Pass (in German), with which they can enjoy leisure, sports, cultural and educational activities at a reduced price.