Jakominiplatz, Central transportation square in Graz, Austria
Jakominiplatz is a central square in Graz, Austria, that also serves as the main public transport hub for the city. All tram lines and several bus routes stop here, and the square connects major streets such as Herrengasse, Joanneumring, and Radetzkystraße.
Until the mid-19th century the area lay on the glacis outside the Iron Gate bastion of Graz's baroque fortifications. In 1878 the city's first horse-drawn tram ran from the Südbahnhof to Jakominiplatz; lines to Fröhlichgasse (1880) and Schillerplatz (1895) made it the main transit junction. A 1964 urban-design competition proposed high-rises and an underground tram, but the square was fully rebuilt in 1995–96 as a pedestrian zone.
On the northern side of the square, vendors sell local products at a small market area. The cafés and shops around the square make it a natural meeting point where people of all kinds cross paths throughout the day.
The square sits at the heart of the city center, making it easy to reach on foot from most central neighborhoods. Signs for tram and bus stops are clearly posted throughout the area, which helps with getting around.
The square's nickname "Jako" (also "Jackie") is used in everyday speech, and the 1878 horse-drawn tram from the Südbahnhof made it Graz's first tram terminus. Since September 2005 the Austrian police have monitored the junction by video for security reasons.
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