Graz forming a hypocoristic derivative of Proto-West-South Slavic *gradьcъ, whichs descends via liquid metathesis from Common Slavic *gardьcъ and via the Slavic third palatalisation from Proto-Slavic *gardiku, originally denoting "small town, settlement". The name thus follows the common South Slavic pattern for naming settlements as "grad". The German name 'Graz' first appears in records in 1128. Graz is situated on the Mur river in southeast Austria. It is about southwest of Vienna. The nearest larger urban centre is Maribor in Slovenia which is about away. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area. These
Trams in Graz by 1967. In the 1990s, with the city's narrow central streets proving ill-suited to large quantities of private car traffic, the city adopted a policy of improving and expanding public transport, with modernisation and extension of the tramway. The area around "Jakominiplatz" was developed as the main tram and city bus interchange from 1995, whilst extensions to "Puntigam", "Liebenau Murpark" and "St Paul" followed in 2006 and 2007. In 2001, Graz was the launch customer for the Bombardier Transportation's Cityrunner design, with the acquisition of 18 long five-section trams. These were the city's first 100% low-floor trams, although the concept