Graz in Pics: city-squares-and-plazas

Dienstag, 22. Oktober 2013

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

Erzherzog Johann Fountain on Main Square

Erzherzog Johann Brunnen

Archduke John, a son of Empress Maria Theresia, did much good for the area and its advancement in his day and age, including in the realms of education, research, and scientific progress. A memorial fountain on the Main Square honors his life and contributions. Its four corners feature four allegorical female sculptures, each representing one of the principal rivers of what was then a larger Styria: Sann, Mur, Enns, and Drau.