Graz or Zakopane?

Neither place is a swimming destination, and the difference is in the kind of water. Graz has gravel-pit lakes such as the Schwarzlsee, which reach a swimmable 23°C in high summer. Zakopane's Tatra lakes are cold and closed to bathers, so swimming there means the reservoir at Czorsztyn or, more likely, a heated thermal pool that stays warm all year.

Graz eats more broadly and better. Pumpkin seed oil, cold fried chicken salad and boiled pork with horseradish come from a proper regional cuisine. Two morning farmers' markets and the Sauvignon Blanc from the southern hills turn eating into a reason to visit.

Zakopane's highland food is hearty and has a strong character of its own: grilled oscypek with cranberry jam, kwaśnica soup and lamb by an open fire. But the range is narrow, and many menus on Krupówki repeat each other, so the best meals take some looking for on the side streets.

Here the gap is wide. Graz has one of Central Europe's finest historic centres, from the arcaded courtyards around the Hauptplatz to the Mausoleum of Ferdinand II. Add the Landeszeughaus, still stacked with armour, Schloss Eggenberg and the modern contrast of the Kunsthaus, and you have two or three full days of sightseeing.

Zakopane's heritage is small but unlike anything in Graz. Its timber Zakopane-style villas, the Jaszczurówka chapel and the carved grave markers at Pęksowy Brzyzek all fit comfortably into one day.

Graz has the livelier evenings thanks to its students, though on a modest scale. Wine bars and pubs fill the Bermuda Triangle lanes, and Lend has artier bars across the river. Zakopane's going out is concentrated on Krupówki and depends on the season. It is rowdy at après-ski time and over New Year, and quiet midweek and among early-rising hikers. Each town loses its crowd at a different time of year: Graz in the summer break, Zakopane out of season.

Zakopane is the mountain base, with true alpine scenery inside the national park at the end of town. Walkers have everything from flower-filled valleys like Chochołowska to the chained ridge of Orla Perć, and the Kasprowy Wierch cable car lifts them to almost 2,000m. Winter brings skiing and ski touring.

Graz is greener and gentler. You can ride a cable car up the Schöckl, cycle the Mur path or climb past waterfalls in the Bärenschützklamm. Serious alpine hiking in the Gesäuse means a two-hour drive.

Outings from Graz lead into wine country and abbeys, while those from Zakopane lead to cities, castles and wooden churches. From Graz you can sit in a Buschenschank on the South Styrian Wine Road, see Riegersburg on its volcanic crag and Admont's great monastic library, or take the train to Maribor across the border. A car makes most of these easier.

Zakopane's big day out is Kraków, with the Wieliczka salt mine on the way. Closer to town are the painted larch church at Dębno and the log houses of Chochołów, and Spiš Castle and Levoča across the Slovak border make a strong heritage day. Weekend traffic can make any of them slow.

Both towns are easy with children, in different ways. Graz offers city-style fun: the underground slide down the Schlossberg, the fairytale train in the rock tunnels and the FRida & freD children's museum, all within short tram rides.

Zakopane is about being outside. Families get the Gubałówka funicular and toboggan run, valley trails that work with a pushchair, sledging and ski schools in winter, and thermal water parks for wet days. Its crowds and traffic jams in school breaks are the main drawback, and Graz rarely has them.

Graz is far easier to get around. The flat, largely pedestrian centre, the trams along the Herrengasse on one ticket and cycling beside the Mur mean you never need a car in town.

Zakopane's centre is walkable, and minibuses run reliably to Kuźnice and the valley entrances. The trouble is getting in and out: the road jams at peak times, the train from Kraków is slow, and parking is hard.

Graz gives you more to browse. There are traditional shops on the Herrengasse and Sporgasse, a grand nineteenth-century department store with a rooftop view, and design and vintage shops in Lend. Its best buys are things to eat and drink, such as pumpkin seed oil, Schilcher rosé and craft chocolate.

Zakopane is mostly souvenirs. The worthwhile finds are handmade highland pieces from the market below Gubałówka: wool sweaters, sheepskins, carved boxes and wheels of oscypek.

Zakopane is the cheaper stay. Guesthouses, inn meals and transport cost well below Western European mountain resorts, although prices jump at Christmas, New Year and in the school breaks. Graz charges normal Austrian prices for dinners and wine. Student lunch menus, a walkable centre and combined museum tickets help keep a short city stay reasonable.

Graz has much more on stage. It has Austria's second-largest opera house, the Schauspielhaus and the Musikverein's concerts. Styriarte in early summer and steirischer herbst in autumn both draw visitors, and the music university feeds a strong jazz scene.

Zakopane's live culture is smaller and rooted in the region. It has the Witkacy Theatre, highland string bands playing in the inns and the August folklore festival, but only occasional classical concerts.

Zakopane does relaxation better. It grew up as a health resort, and the outdoor thermal pools at Białka Tatrzańska, Chochołów and Szaflary, steaming in view of the peaks, are less than half an hour away and part of most visitors' day. The calm, though, is on the quieter slopes, not in the town centre in high season.

Graz has no bathing tradition of its own, but it is a calm city to linger in. For a proper soak, Bad Blumau's Hundertwasser resort and the other Styrian spa villages are about an hour east.