Napoleon's army took the entire city but never captured this hill, and the clock tower the citizens saved has its hands on backwards.
About Schlossberg
Fortified since at least the 10th century, the Schlossberg became one of the strongest citadels in Central Europe. Napoleon's forces besieged it in 1809 without success. The subsequent treaty required demolition of the fortifications, but citizens ransomed the clock tower and bell tower. The zigzag stone steps were carved through the rock during World War I.
What Schlossberg (Graz) is
The Schlossberg is a 473-metre dolomite hill rising abruptly from the centre of Graz, crowned by the Uhrturm, a 16th-century clock tower that is the symbol of the city. The hill was the site of a fortress that Napoleon's army tried and failed to capture, and it now is a public park with panoramic views over the red rooftops of the UNESCO-listed old town below.
The Fortress Napoleon Could Not Take
The Schlossberg has been fortified since at least the 10th century, and by the early 1800s it was one of the strongest citadels in Central Europe. When Napoleon's forces occupied Graz in 1809, the Schlossberg garrison held out, and the fortress was never taken by assault. The subsequent Treaty of Schonbrunn required the Austrians to demolish the fortifications, but the citizens of Graz paid a ransom to save the Uhrturm and the bell tower. The clock tower is famously odd: its minute and hour hands are reversed, with the large hand showing the hour and the small hand the minutes, because only the hour hand existed originally and when the minute hand was added later, it was made smaller. Zigzag stone steps carved during the First World War lead up the hill, and a modern glass lift tunnelled through the rock offers an alternative ascent.
The Experience
You can climb the stone zigzag steps or take the glass lift through the rock. At the top, the Uhrturm sits on the edge of the cliff with views over Graz's terracotta roofscape and the Mur River below. The reversed clock hands are disorienting at first glance. The hilltop is a park now, with paths through trees and old fortress walls, and a stage that hosts performances in summer.
Why It Matters
The Schlossberg is the historic and visual anchor of Graz, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Its survival of Napoleonic siege and the civic rescue of the Uhrturm make it a symbol of local identity.
Why Visit
The symbol of Graz: a 16th-century clock tower with reversed hands on a fortress hill that Napoleon never conquered, with views over a UNESCO old town.
✦ Photo Gallery
Best Season
🌤 Spring through autumn for the best views and outdoor enjoyment of the hilltop park. The Christmas season adds festive atmosphere to the old town below.
Quick Facts
Best time to visit
Spring through autumn for the best views and outdoor enjoyment of the hilltop park. The Christmas season adds festive atmosphere to the old town below.
Getting there
In Graz, Austria; reach Graz first, then continue to the site.
Location
Graz, Austria
Type
attraction
Coordinates
47.0761°, 15.4372°
Insider Tips
- 1
Check the reversed clock hands carefully before trusting the time.
- 2
Take the glass lift up and the zigzag stone steps down.
- 3
Summer evenings have performances on the hilltop stage.
- 4
The old town below the hill is also UNESCO-listed and walkable.
