by missj1981

London, England, United Kingdom

August 17, 2011

by Elia Papillon

Paris, France

October 28, 2004

There is enough here to do for a day, and it is popular with families and children. There are many open spaces to play or sit in the sun. There are some cafés and places to have food or a beer. At the top, you find a Military Museum with some very old cannons on display. The Bell Tower is very nice and quite unusual. There is an Open Air Theatre, where, in summer, they have concerts. A gift shop nearby has some typical souvenirs of Graz and information about the things you can see on the Schlossberg.

Most people come to see the Uhrturm, or clock tower. It is unusual because, originally, there was just one arm on the clock showing the hours passing. Later, another arm was added. The original arm is the largest, though, so you think it shows minutes, but it doesn’t.

If you explore more of the Schlossberg, you will find a Chinese Pavillion, a beautiful old Gothic Gate, and also a Turk’s Well. When there was fighting in Graz and people were protected on the Schlossberg, they collected water from this well. It travels down 94m through the hill to reach the river Mur.

You can easily spend the entire day on the Schlossberg. There is a restaurant called Aiola beside the Urturm and lift. It has outside and inside seating. The food is mostly Italian. I had some dinner here--pasta, wine, and coffee--that cost less than 15€.

Before 5pm, you can take a guided tour of the buildings on the Schlossberg.

by billmoy

Chicago, Illinois

July 25, 2003

One can reach the top of the 400-foot hill by climbing the stone staircase, which was constructed by Russian prisoners during World War II. There is also the Schlossbergbahn, a funicular in operation since 1894 that will take you up the steep hill to the top with much less strain. If you want to go straight up to the Clock Tower, the glass-enclosed Lift im Berg has a rise of 77 meters. Check out the fine views from the lush and terraced Herberstein Gardens.

The Glockenturm (Bell Tower) is one of the few remaining pieces from the old castle days. Built in 1588, it houses the huge 9000-pound "Liesl" bell (dating from 1382) that is clanged 101 times daily. Next to it is an outdoor theater. The Glockenturm is not to be confused with the Glockenspiel, which is in the city center but not on the hill. The Glockenspiel has costumed wooden figures that do their thing at 11am, 3pm and 6pm.

Perhaps a more pronounced element is the Uhrturm (Clock Tower), a clunky but beloved tower built in 1265 and rebuilt in 1569. Note that the long hand is the hour hand while the short hand points out the minutes. This year there is the black Shadow Clock Tower next to it, a bizarre black steel shell mockup designed by Markus Wilfling that literally looks like the silhouette of the original.

The Schlossberg Passage offers a unique stroll into the belly of the hill. A series of tunnels were burrowed into the rock to create bomb shelters for thousands of refugees during World War II. The main tunnel (which connects Karmeliterplatz and Schlossbergplatz) branches off into many side tunnels, which now offer historic or artistic displays (a video screen playing a sensuous commercial for a shoe company comes to mind) rather than sanctuary. The largest side tunnel connects to the Dom im Berg, a large and surprisingly grand underground space that is now a venue for various multimedia exhibitions and events. Reiner Schmid designed the Dom im Berg in 2000.

by unorthodox traveler

Norway, Maine

December 14, 2000

Once you reach the top, you are rewarded with a panoramic view of the city. The gardens are just beautiful and you can spend hours walking around.

I took a tour of the citadel and bell tower, which was worth the $5. The Clock Tower (See photo) was built in 1555-56 in the Renaissance style. The clock has four huge clock faces.

This hill was fortified at one time but the fortifications were removed in 1809 as a result of Austria's treaty with Napoleon.

There is a restaurant on the hill and this place is popular for picnics and evening concerts.

Arriving at the top early in the morning, I noticed many individuals sleeping on the ground. With the high cost of housing in Graz, apparently many decide to sleep in the park.