Schlossberg and the Uhrturm

Getting up the hill

The Schlossberg is the green, forested hill rising straight out of Graz’s old town, and the Uhrturm — the squat 16th-century clock tower with its oversized hands — is the city’s emblem, the picture on every postcard. Reaching the top is half the fun, and you’ve got three ways to do it.

The funicular (Schlossbergbahn) rides up the slope on rails, while the glass Schlossberglift shoots up inside the rock and pops you out near the tower with a view on the way. A single ride on either costs around €2.90, and the fare sits on the city’s public-transport ticketing, so a day pass can cover it. Or you can simply walk the zig-zag stairway from Schlossbergplatz, which is free if your legs are willing.

The plan I’d steer you towards: ride up and walk down. You save the steep climb, and the descent on the path hands you the rooftop views at your own pace, winding through the gardens with frequent places to stop and photograph.

What’s actually up there

Be clear about the Uhrturm: it’s something you admire from the outside, not a tower you climb and tour. What you’re really here for is the terraces and viewpoints spread across the hilltop, looking out over the red-roofed old town, the river Mur and the strange silver bubble of the Kunsthaus below. It’s the best panorama in the city, and on a clear day it’s worth lingering for.

The hill is also just a pleasant green space — leafy paths, the old bell tower, a café or two and remnants of the fortress the city demolished after Napoleon. Allow an hour or two, go late afternoon for the softest light, and treat it as the easy, inexpensive highlight of any Graz visit. Confirm current lift and funicular hours on the official site before you set out.