The Schlossberg ( en, Castle Hill), at above sea level, is a tree-clad hill, and the site of a

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, in the centre of the city of

Graz, Austria Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popula ...

. The hill is now a public park and enjoys extensive views of the city. It is the site of several

entertainment venue Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

s, cafés and restaurants, and is managed by Holding Graz, the city owned utility company.

History

Topographia Austriacarum (Burg am Grazer Schlossberg) 200

The fortification of the Schlossberg goes back to at least the 10th century. In the mid-16th century, a long fortress was constructed by architects from the north of Italy. There are records of a cable-hauled lift being in use between 1528 and 1595 to move construction materials for the fortifications. The castle was never conquered, but it was largely demolished by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

ic forces under the Treaty of Schönbrunn of 1809. The

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...

(the ''Uhrturm'') and

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tow ...

(the ''Glockenturm'') were spared after the people of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation. The remains of the castle were turned into a public park by

Ludwig von Welden Franz Ludwig Baron von Welden (16 June 1780, Laupheim – 7 August 1853, Graz) was an Austrian army officer whose career culminated in becoming the commander-in-chief of the Austrian artillery. Born in Laupheim, Ludwig von Welden joined the ar ...

in 1839. The park contains the ''Uhrturm'', the ''Glockenturm'', a

cistern A cistern (Middle English ', from Latin ', from ', "box", from Greek ', "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by ...

(the ''Türkenbrunnen'') and two

bastion A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...

s from the old castle. The ''Uhrturm'' is a recognisable icon for the city, and is unusual in that the clock's hands have opposite roles to the common notion, with the larger one marking hours while the smaller is for minutes. The ''Glockenturm'' contains ''Liesl'', the heaviest bell in Graz. Near the ''Uhrturm'' a café with views over the old town can be found. Additionally, on the western side of the Schlossberg, there are two small cafés, one with table service and another with self-service. Next to the terminus of the funicular railway there is a hilltop restaurant with views of western Graz. In what was once the cellar of one of the ruined bastions is the ''Kasemattenbühne'', an open-air stage for concerts and performances. Below the Schlossberg hill is an extensive system of tunnels, which were created during the

second world war World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

to protect the civilian population of Graz from

aerial bombing An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offici ...

. Some of these tunnels are still accessible, including a passage from Schlossbergplatz to Karmeliterplatz, but many are closed to the public.

Location and accessibility

The Schlossberg lies in the center of Graz. The mountain is easily accessible by the Schlossberg funicular that carries the passengers from the foot of the mountain (accessible via city-tram line 5) all the way to the top. It is also easily possible to reach the top by walking. A series of steep staircases lead directly to the large clocktower, and a serpentine path on the opposite side of the mountain also leads to the top and ends up in nearly the same place as the stairs. The summit is also accessible by an elevator. The elevator is accessible through a large tunnel under the mountain located under the steep stairs on Schlossbergplatz. A tunnel also goes through the Schlossberg parallel to the tunnel connecting the elevator to the outside. This tunnel connects the Schlossbergplatz to Karmeliterplatz.

Entertainment

Each year the

Elevate Festival The Elevate Festival is an annual festival that takes place around the Schloßberg in Graz, Austria. The aim of the festival is to create a better understanding of the most important issues of our time and to discuss groundbreaking alternatives, ...

, a festival for contemporary music, art and political discourse, is held in various venues in and around the Schlossberg. In the large tunnel connecting the elevator to the Schlossbergplatz, the

Fairytale Express Graz The Fairytale Express Graz is a long gauge grotto railway in the tunnel of the Schloßberg (castle hill) in Graz. It starts in the tunnel at the lower level of the Schloßberg lift, which is accessible from Schloßbergplatz. History Durin ...

can be found. This is a popular grotto railway ride for children. In February 2017, construction on the largest indoor slide "Sclossbergrutsche Graz" ended. The slide is constructed out of large tubular metal pieces and winds around the elevator. The slide covers a height difference of 64 meters and is 170 metres long. A ride takes approximately 40 seconds and costs up to €7,80. On the top of the mountain is the ''

Kasemattenbühne The Schlossberg ( en, Castle Hill), at above sea level, is a tree-clad hill, and the site of a fortress, in the centre of the city of Graz, Austria. The hill is now a public park and enjoys extensive views of the city. It is the site of severa ...

'', a free air concert venue. It is one of the most popular venue locations in Graz and has a retractable roof so that it can be used when the weather is not good. 1310 people fit in the venue at the same time.

References

External links

*
Schlossberg page on Graz Tourism web site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grazer Schlossberg Schlossberg

Castles in Styria A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

Landforms of Styria Clock towers Hills of Austria Schlossberg Schlossberg Graz Highlands