The Schlossberg is a roughly 473-metre-high fortress hill rising above Graz's old town, crowned by the 29-metre Clock Tower (Uhrturm) that has become the city's emblem. When Napoleon had the fortress demolished under the 1809 Treaty of Schönbrunn, the citizens of Graz famously paid a ransom (about 2,988 florins) to save the Clock Tower and the Bell Tower, and the Uhrturm is also known for its quirk of reversed hands and clock faces over five metres across. Today the whole hill is a free public park and part of the UNESCO World Heritage old town, and in 2026 you can still ride up by funicular, lift or climb the steps for sweeping views over Graz and southern Styria. It makes an easy half-day of walking, viewpoints, cafés and open-air stages.
The Uhrturm (Clock Tower): reversed hands where the large hand shows the hour and the small one the minutes, with gilded faces over five metres in diameter
Three historic bells on the tower's exterior — Graz's oldest bell (1385, striking the hours), the fire bell (1645) and the 'poor sinners' bell' (c. 1450)
Panoramic viewpoints over the red-roofed old town, the River Mur and the hills of southern Styria
Fortress remains: the Bell Tower (Glockenturm) with its great bell 'Liesl', the Türkenbrunnen cistern and old bastions
The Schlossbergrutsche indoor slide — a 170-metre tube slide plunging through the hill and out into a historic tunnel
Good to know
SafetyThe Felsensteig stairway from Schlossbergplatz has about 260 fairly steep steps that get slippery when wet. Wear proper shoes, and take the funicular or lift if stairs or heat are a strain.
RulesThe Schlossbergbahn funicular requires a valid Graz public-transport ticket for fare zone 101. Buy a 1-hour, 24-hour or Graz Card ticket via the GrazMobil app or a machine beforehand and keep it during the ride; a combined lift-plus-funicular ticket is also available.
SeasonThe inside of the Clock Tower is not open every day — paid interior entry is only offered on selected dates and times (e.g. in the summer season), while viewing it from outside is free year-round. Check the latest opening days before you go.
SeasonJuly offers the best views but the summit has little shade, so bring a hat, water and sun protection; in winter daylight is short and the stone steps can ice over, so plan your timing and footing.
MannersThe whole hill is a local park within a UNESCO old town. Don't climb on or damage the monuments, and keep noise down and take your litter with you, especially around the Kasematten open-air stage and the Dom im Berg venue.
CautionIn busy spots like the funicular queue and viewpoints, keep your bag in front and watch your belongings. Tipping is not obligatory in Austria; simply rounding up by roughly 5–10% at cafés and restaurants is plenty.
Practical info
From Schlossbergplatz in the old town you can climb the Felsensteig (about 260 steps) or take the adjacent Schlossberg lift (roughly 60 seconds), or ride the funicular from Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai 38 (about 2 minutes, every 15 minutes). The hill, park and the exterior of the Clock Tower are free, but the funicular, lift, slide and the tower's interior are paid, and running hours and prices vary by season — check the official pages for the latest details before visiting.
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