Herrengasse Main Street in City Center

Herrengasse looking North

Schlossbergbahn History

Older edition of Schlossbergbahn car, now on display at the Tramway Museum

Entrance to Schlossbergbahn Ground Station and city street level (2014 photo)

Plaque commemorating construction of Schlossbergbahn in the times of the Kaiser
(inside departure hall) 

Schlossbergbahn Hilltop Station at Dusk 

Miniature Opera House - brass model of Graz Oper for the blind

Touchable brass model of Grazer Oper on square in front of Opera House

Miniature Uhrturm - touchable brass model of iconic landmark for the visually impaired tourists

Sightseeing by touch. 

This model of the Uhrturm allows blind tourist to also "see" the most well-known landmark of the City of Graz with their hands.

Uhrturm

Innere Stadt

Graz

Österreich

The Unknown Knight Memorial - Unbekannter Ritter Denkmal

Der Unbekannte Ritter - Sculpture near Tuerkenbrunnen

Gazebo on Schlossberg with panorama view of Graz

Stage on Schossberg for Events, Performances (Kasematten)

Kasematten - Schlossbergbühne
Grazer Schloßberg
8010 Graz
Österreich

Schlossberg Fortifications

Meteorological Station on Schlossberg by Naturfreunde

Starcke House on side of Schlossberg, former vinyard

Canons on Mount Schlossberg (Kanonenbastei - Garnisonsmuseum)

Military Museum on Schlossberg Bastion

Alarmbastei - Historic alarm bell and canons on top of Schlossberg fortifications to warn citizens of fires and approaching enemies

Thomas Kapelle ruins for former chapel

Der Steinene Hund - Sculpture honoring a canine of special merit

The Stone Dog Story 

Cerrini Castle (nearby)

Turkenbrunnen Turkish Well

Tuerkenbrunnen - Turkish Well 

Hans Kloepfer bronze bust nearby on way to the Stracke Haus 

Staedtefreundschaft - Graz Sister Cities - Mosaic on Schlossberg

This piece of mosaic wall art commemorates the sister city relationships of Graz
with and number of other cities elsewhere in Europe and beyond

Schlossbergplatz Square with ascent via stairs to iconic Uhrturm Clock Tower overlooking City of Graz

Getting up to the Schlossberg from Schlossbergplatz

There are several ways to get to the top of the Schlossberg from Schlossbergplatz Square, with differing requirements for physical fitness:

1. Walk into the tunnel and take the elevator straight up inside the mountain. The elevator is called the Schlossberglift. It's a technological marvel of recent vintage, which can be admired all the better because the cabin walls are made of glass and the elevator shaft is illuminated and also has winding stairs lining its walls. The elevator has a glass top, through which natural light enters. You arrive near the Uhrturm and the mountaintop Cafe.

2. Walk all the way through the tunnel that provides access to the Dom im Berg performance venue deep in the mountain, emerge at the other end, and then hike up the paved road that winds its way up in sharp curves through the wooded part of Schlossberg on the East side. The tunnel is sloped upward slightly, and the road is rather steep.

West gate of Schlossbergtunnel - Entry to Dom im Berg

Schlossbergsteig: Up the stairs to the Uhrturm

3. Ascend step-by-step via the flights of stairs built into the rockface on the West side of Schlossberg in zig-zagging course. This footpath is called the Kriegssteig. It is the most strenuous method to arrive at the Uhrturm, but also the shortest. This walk provides a great view of the historic city throughout the ascent. Along the way, you will pass through the Herbersteingarten, which is a lovely landscaped area with benches. It offers an even wider panoramic view of the area West and South of the City, beyond the vista of the sea of red roofs characteristic of the Old City (Altstadt).

The easiest and most convenient manner to rise  to the top of Schlossberg and see all of its attractions is to take the Schlossbergbahn, which offers rides in multi-level cars pulled up the mountainside on steep tracks by steel cables.

This ride goes directly to the Schlossbergrestaurant ("Das Schlossberg"), which also features an open-air terrace/lounge and a beer garden.

The restaurant is located next to several major points of interest: the Kasematten performance venue and the Liesl Bell Tower. A little higher up are the Great Cistern, the Hackher Loewe, which honors the war hero and defender of Graz for whom it is named with a lion sculpture, and observation platforms affording views in different directions, with stone panels that show the direction and distance -- in kilometers rather than miles of course -- of far-away cities.

The iconic Uhrturm clock tower is a short walk downhill to the South. On the way there you will pass the remaining Schlossberg fortifications (Bastei), a souvenir shop, the Turkisch Well, and a body-armor-type memorial dedicated to the unknown knight.

Schlossbergplatz - View of the square from above 

Cafe on Schlossbergplatz Square near the entrance to the tunnels that provide access
to the Schlossberglift elevator and the Dom im Berg performance hall