A wooded hill rising abruptly from the centre of Graz, the Schlossberg is crowned by the remains of a mighty fortress and offers the finest views over the old town and the river below. Its slopes, threaded with paths, tunnels and gardens, have made it the green and historic heart of the Styrian capital and the symbol that locals hold most dear. For centuries the hill carried a powerful citadel that protected the city and famously never fell to a besieging enemy. The fortress was finally pulled down not by an attacker but by treaty, when Napoleon forces, having taken Vienna in 1809, demanded its destruction as a condition of peace. The townspeople managed to save two structures by paying a ransom, the great bell tower and the clock tower, and it is the latter, the Uhrturm, with its oversized clock face and distinctive wooden gallery, that has become the emblem of Graz, instantly recognisable on the skyline. Reaching the summit is part of the pleasure, whether by climbing the zigzag stone stairway from the Schlossbergplatz, riding the funicular railway, or taking the glass lift that rises through the rock from a tunnel bored into the hillside during the Second World War. At the top, walkers find shaded paths, a flower clock, the bell and clock towers, an open-air theatre set into the old casemates and several cafes, all wrapped in panoramic views that stretch across the red-tiled roofs of the World Heritage old town. Free to wander and open at all hours, the Schlossberg works as park, viewpoint, monument and venue all at once, and whether for a gentle stroll, a concert in the rock or simply a photograph of the famous clock tower, it remains the essential first stop for any visitor to Graz. The story of the ransom paid to spare the clock and bell towers has become part of local lore, a rare instance of citizens buying back a piece of their own heritage from a conqueror, and it explains why these two structures stand alone where a great fortress once loomed. The hill honeycomb of tunnels, dug as air-raid shelters during the Second World War, now serves peaceful purposes, housing the lift, an exhibition and even a venue for events. Whether approached as a historic monument, a green retreat or simply the best vantage point in the city, the Schlossberg rewards every visitor with a sense of how closely the history of Graz is bound to this single commanding hill.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Am Schlossberg, Graz, Austria