Schlossberg Graz. Schlossberg castle

This summer we visited the wonderful city of Graz in Austria. There were almost no tourists Old city very compact, you can ride on it on a free tram. Are you walking with us?

From here you can go anywhere in the city. Here you can see the town hall of Graz in the distance. On the square there is a fountain to the Styrian prince - Archduke Johan.

Right on the square, our attention was drawn to a house with stucco. Here you can see mocking faces, and on the ground floor there is a Swarovski store.

The most interesting thing in cities is not museums and old buildings, but people and their way of life. It is interesting to watch someone sitting in a cafe drinking a cup of coffee; a shop assistant who went out for a smoke break; or a beautiful yellow “beetle” with a mother and daughter.

Struck by Carmelite Square, once it was main square in the town. A large mirror fountain with a beautiful reflection of the facade of the building and the pillar.

In the center of the square lay cubes of hay, neatly enclosed by a fence. What for? We found out about this in the evening. Later you will see how and why hay was used. In the next report, I will talk about a tough marathon with mud and abrasions.

Do you know how hot it is in Europe this summer? How good it is to cool in the tunnel. This tunnel leads to the funicular, but we will go up the mountain on foot, so we leave.

With the arrows on the tower, it’s quite a disaster. It is difficult to make out where the end of the arrows is. Well, what time do you think now? 17:52? Nothing like that - 10:26! At first, the tower had a long hour hand, then added a short minute hand. Incomprehensible logic.

A strong wind literally blew us away. Let's go to see the Schlossberg castle (Schloßberg), or rather, all that is left of it.

I love city panoramas with red tiled roofs. Let's remember the views of Prague or Cesky Krumlov. It is also very beautiful here.

A friendly alien is what the residents of Graz call the building of the Kunsthaus, a museum of modern art. Its streamlined acrylic glass façade contrasts spectacularly with the old buildings of the city's historic centre. Looks more like a toad to me.

Do not forget that any map on the site can be expanded to full screen, switched to satellite and viewed in such a beautiful way.

A very pleasant little garden on the Schlossberg mountain. Lots of flowers, and most importantly - the best panorama of the city! And a few more panorama shots.

Steel Bastion - its walls are 6m thick and 20m high. There was a prison here. Cannons were placed on the square and the cannonballs were stacked. Since 1725, there has been a type of fire station here, it alerted the city if there was a fire.

This is the Kanonenbastai Garrison Museum of 4 cannons that defended the city from Napoleon's army.

Artsat is an inconspicuous art object, but very important. The first art experiment from an Austrian cosmonaut in flight on a Russian rocket. At that moment, when he was flying over Austria, the astronaut sent a message to Earth in the form of notes from the Strauss waltz "On the beautiful blue Danube."

The ancient tower of 1588 with the main bell of Graz - Liesl. It weighs 5 tons! To call him, I had to create a special mechanism. Overdid it with the sizing.

Apparently, there will be a big concert today. The stage is already set.

If you are too lazy to climb the mountain, then use the funicular. He is over 100 years old! The slope of the mountain here is 61%. By the way, it works regular ticket or a public transport pass.

Eggenberg Castle is visible in the distance, we will go there by tram tomorrow. It is located on the outskirts of the city.

Through binoculars I saw the remains of the Gösting fortress. It would be interesting to go there and see the city from there.

I continue to explore the city of Graz and its Schlossberg castle hill. Another day of travel through not quite touristy Austria was approaching lunch. In the morning I managed to miss the train here from Vienna, then took the next train along the famous Semmering road, and then walked along the central streets of Graz. The goal was to visit the local Schlossberg castle on the castle hill, and then, if time permits, make a forced march in the other direction from the station to the Eggenberg castle, which is also on the UNESCO list.

The steps I had the honor to climb have their own name and history.

They are officially called the Schlossbergsteig (Schlossberg steps). They were built here during the 1st World War by Austrian pioneers and Russian prisoners of war. Therefore, they are also called "Russensteig" (Russian steps) or "Kriegssteig" (Military steps). From 1924 to 1928, an additional branch of steps was added in the middle to the western part of the castle hill.

The first spiers are already visible, the city begins to unfold from a height.

The Kunsthaus has already appeared. From this height, it is like an outlandish alien caterpillar, always well distinguishable against the backdrop of classic red-tiled roofs.

As I said, Graz is the second most populous city in Austria. On an area of ​​127 sq. kilometers live according to the latest data about 270 thousand people.

Remarkably, about a sixth of them are students. There are many in Graz educational institutions which made it one of the most progressive educational centers in Central Europe.

I climbed to the top of the hill, from where you can see the clock tower - Ukhrturm.

The tower and the fortifications surrounding it date back to the 10th century, and in the 16th century the first Schlossberg fortress was built here by invited Italian masters.

The tower is the symbol of Graz and its calling card. It is she who is captured on all sorts of iconic photos in these parts. This is yet to come to me. But to get inside the tower did not work. A barn lock on the door and the absence of any place nearby for buying tickets / excursions inside.

But there is a reduced copy of the turret. The original one is 28 meters high, and this one is less than a meter.

Since 1839, the castle grounds have been turned into a public park, where it is very comfortable to walk. Which is what I did.

Signal guns. Until 1787, these 4 guns "Four Evangelists" (Four evangelists) warned the population about the approaching enemy. In 1809 they fell into the hands of the French, when Napoleon laid siege to the city and this castle hill.

The city survived the siege of Napoleon and remained unconquered, which earned him special fame. Only after the signing of a peace agreement on a ceasefire did the local soldiers retreat. But Napoleon patted them fairly, the forces were clearly unequal.

View of the eastern part of the city. River Mur and more modern buildings interspersed with old ones.

In the shade of a gazebo on a hill, you can pass an hour or two and escape from the midday heat.

On the observation deck at the top there is a circle indicating the direction and distance from here to various cities in the world. Suddenly... Malta.

The concert will be in the evening, and now the hall is deserted. which did not stop us from sticking a camera through the bars and taking a couple of shots. An impressive ancient hall and apparently good acoustics.

Next joke observation deck. Looking for the building in the photo...

Then you raise your eyes and look for this place already in the live picture. At the same time, I got an idea of ​​where the Eggenberg castle is, which I planned to get to later.

The monument "Lev Hakhner" was erected here in 1909, exactly 100 years after the siege of the castle by Napoleon's troops. It is named after Major Franz Hackner, who commanded the local garrison and repelled French attacks more than 8 times. At the same time, the number of the garrison was less than a thousand soldiers and officers, while the French forces exceeded four thousand people. A symbol of heroism and military prowess.

The wall of Schlossberg Castle itself, densely overgrown with bindweed and shrubs.

View of the local Cathedral. He is quite far away, I did not have time to go there to inquire about him.

Stuck near the stand with a description of the routes of walks on the castle hill.

Commemorative photo with business card.

Then I managed to walk for another half an hour in the local park. Fortunately, time allowed. Well, it was necessary to wait out the midday sun somewhere.
But slowly we have to go down the mountain, because we had to have lunch and move to Eggenberg.

Right after descending the stairs, I sat down in one of the cafes located right on the main road. The prices here were supposed to be tourist and not cheap, but time was more expensive.

For starters, I took an appetizer in the form of "Styrian tapas". Yes, there are tapas in Styria too. True, in this place they were three types of stews according to some national recipes. Beans, various baked and stewed meats

The bowls are small in size, but for tasting it is the most. For a person passing through this city and region, it is doubly so! I tried everything carefully, the tastes are peculiar.

All this was supposed to be washed down with wonderful cherry cider, which was found in large quantities in the institution.

Well, as a main dish, a large portion of good Austrian goulash with scipettes - a kind of pasta in the region. Very tasty well stewed meat and a lot of gravy. This is how real goulash should be.

These are the gastronomic pleasures of life...

I paid and go to the river Mur. Stop "Cabrio Basa". In fact, a long open-top minibus looks very interesting in the pictures. Too bad I didn't meet in person.

Once again I pass the eggplant Kunsthaus. Alas, it was not possible to stay in the city until nightfall, so it was not possible to see its night illumination. Judging by the photos on the Internet, the spectacle is unusual.

Here I am already on the central streets, continuing my way to the station and further to Eggenberg Castle.

Continuation of adventures in Graz follows...

Schlossberg Castle is located in Austria, in the city of Graz and is considered one of the most beloved and famous city attractions. It is located on a high hill at the end of the old city. Schlossberg literally means "Castle Hill".

The castle itself was built back in 1125, and from that time until 1809 it was not captured even once until the moment when it was captured by Napoleon's troops and partially destroyed. Since that time, the castle has not been fully restored.

Infrastructure on Castle Hill in Graz

To date, popular among local residents and tourists enjoy the remains of the so-called fortifications, as well as a vast, beautiful and well-kept park. On the territory of the Castle Hill there are various glades, a cafe, a theater, a souvenir shop, children's playgrounds.

Three ways to get to Schlossberg Castle

There are three ways for tourists to choose from to get to the Castle Hill. The most difficult of them is the ascent on foot. Such a hike will take about 30 minutes, since the height of the mountain on which the castle is located is about 70 m, and the steps to the castle zigzag, which makes the ascent difficult and long.

The second way: to get to the castle by funicular, which here since 1894 is simply called the Schlossbergbahn.

The third way you can get here is with the help of an elevator (Schlossberg lift), which goes up the hill to the castle in just a few seconds.

Attractions in the castle

The most visited and popular attraction on the territory of Schlossberg Castle is the Clock Tower, which was built back in 1265 and restored in 1569. From this bell tower, you can see the charming surroundings, houses and red roofs of the city.

It is noteworthy that at first one hand was installed on the clock, which pointed only to the clock. A little later, a second hand was attached, which indicated the minutes. The uniqueness is that the first hand was thicker and longer, which now points to hours, and the smaller one points to minutes. Therefore, it is very easy to mix up the time!

Helpful information

How to get there: trams No. 4 and No. 5 go to Castle Hill - stop Schlossbergplatz / Murinsel (Schloßbergplatz / Murinsel).

How to get to Schlossberg Castle

1. Schlossberglift. There is an elevator at the Schloßbergplatz that will take you to the Schlossberg Castle in 30 seconds.

Lift Hours: daily from 8:00 to 00:30 (schedule may change during holidays).

Fare: for adults - 1.60 €; for children - 1.10 €.

2. Schlossbergbahn. A funicular runs to the Castle Hill every 15 minutes.

The address: Kaiser Franz Josef Kai 38, Graz.

Tel.: +43 316 887-3391

Opening hours of the Schlossbergbahn funicular:

• April - September: Monday to Thursday (9:00 - 00:00); Friday and Saturday (9:00 - 02:00); Sunday (9:00 - 23:00).
• October - March: Monday to Thursday (10:00 - 00:00); Friday and Saturday (10:00 - 02:00); Sunday (10:00 - 22:00).

Fare: adult - from 2.40 €; for children from up to 14 years old - from 1.20 €; for pensioners - from 1.50 €.

Ticket for 24 hours: adult - 5.30 €; for children from up to 14 years old - from 2.70 €; preferential (students, pensioners, large families) - from 3.30 €.

3. Fairy Train(Grazer Märchenbahn): daily from 9:00 to 17:00 (closed day - 1st Monday of the month). You can find out the cost of the attraction on the website.

In the historic district of the city, it is also worth visiting the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, founded in the early 17th century.

About the castle

Schlossberg Castle is one of the most famous sights in the city of Graz in Austria. The building stands on a high hill in the oldest part of the city and its name means "Castle Hill".

History reference

The castle was built in 1125 and has been the residence of emperors since the 15th century. It was never captured until 1809. Three times the Napoleonic troops tried to take the fortress, and only in 1809 they managed to blow it up. And in 1839, a city park was laid out here, but the castle itself was never fully restored.

One of the most interesting buildings of the castle is the Urturm tower (German Uhrturm) which opens beautiful view to the city.

Tourist information

On the this moment there are many interesting buildings to visit in this place. Many fortifications, as well as theaters, cafes and a park located on the castle grounds.

There are three ways to enter the castle grounds. One of them, and one of the most difficult, is the ascent on foot. And since the height of the mountain is 70 meters, and the steps are arranged in a zigzag pattern, which complicates the ascent, it will take about half an hour and take away a little strength. But the entire lift is equipped with recreation areas, with whose help you can enjoy the views of the nearby city. Most visitors to the castle prefer not to go up in this way, but to go down. The second way to climb is the funicular, whose name since 1894 is the Schlossbergbahn. And the third way is an elevator, which rises to a height of 77 meters in a matter of minutes.

The most interesting and popular place to visit is the Clock Tower, built in 1265 and restored in 1569. This chapel is interesting and unique in that initially there was only one hand on its clock, showing only the hours. Over time, a minute hand was added to it, but it was smaller than the previous one. And now the long and plump hand shows the hours, and the smaller hand shows the minutes, and this confuses visitors. From this place and the Bell Tower located nearby, a wonderful view of the surroundings of the city opens up.

A military museum was also built on the territory of the castle. It exhibits ancient cannons, and ancient weapons have been collected since 1551. This is the largest arsenal of weapons in the world, its number is 30,000 exhibits. next to, under open sky the theater is located and in the warm season you can see performances in it. It is also worth paying attention to the exhibition halls located in the catacombs, the beautiful Chinese pavilion, as well as the unusual Gothic entrance gate.

You can visit the castle every day from 10:00 to 17:00. And the price of the entrance ticket is for an adult - $ 4, and for a student or child - free of charge. You can get to your destination by tram 4, 5, 12 to the Schlossbergbahn (SacktraBc) stop or by a sightseeing trip around the city of Graz.

The city's attractions

Around the city of Graz there are many interesting sights to visit. One of them is an arena built in the mid-1990s and originally named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was born and raised in the Austrian village of Thal before becoming famous. But it was renamed in 2005 to SKP Arena. Also very beautiful place to visit is the Landhaushof. This beautiful courtyard was created in the second half of the 15th century. It is famous for its surrounding Renaissance façade and dramatic arches. As well as luxurious, thanks to Italian architecture, buildings around the palace. Also historically interesting place to visit is the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, located in the Old Town area. You can visit this place on any day from 10:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 16:00. You can also relax and get a lot of pleasure near the Mur River and see artificial island"Moore Island" in the form of an open shell. And just have a good time, swim and sunbathe on Coppabana beach. The beach and island are open daily and entry is free.

Schlossberg Castle is one of the most famous attractions in the city of Graz in Austria. The building stands on a high hill in the oldest part of the city and its name means "Castle Hill".

Historical background The castle was built in 1125 and has been the residence of emperors since the 15th century. It was never captured until 1809. Three times the Napoleonic troops tried to take the fortress, and only in 1809 they managed to blow it up. And in 1839, a city park was laid out here, but the castle itself was never fully restored.

One of the most interesting buildings of the castle is the Urturm tower (German: Uhrturm), which offers a beautiful view of the city.

Tourist information At the moment there are many interesting buildings to visit in this place. Many fortifications, as well as theaters, cafes and a park located on the castle grounds.

There are three ways to enter the castle grounds. One of them, and one of the most difficult, is the ascent on foot. And since the height of the mountain is 70 meters, and the steps are arranged in a zigzag pattern, which complicates the ascent, it will take about half an hour and take away a little strength. But the entire lift is equipped with recreation areas, with whose help you can enjoy the views of the nearby city. Most visitors to the castle prefer not to go up in this way, but to go down. The second way to climb is the funicular, whose name since 1894 is the Schlossbergbahn. And the third way is an elevator, which in a matter of minutes rises to a height of 77 meters.

The most interesting and popular place to visit is the Clock Tower, built in 1265 and restored in 1569. This chapel is interesting and unique in that initially there was only one hand on its clock, showing only the hours. Over time, a minute hand was added to it, but it was smaller than the previous one. And now the long and plump hand shows hours, and the smaller hand shows minutes, and this confuses visitors. From this place and the Bell Tower located nearby, a wonderful view of the surroundings of the city opens up.

A military museum was also built on the territory of the castle. It exhibits ancient cannons, and ancient weapons have been collected since 1551. This is the largest arsenal of weapons in the world, its number is 30,000 exhibits. Nearby, in the open air, there is a theater and in the warm season you can see performances in it. It is also worth paying attention to the exhibition halls located in the catacombs, the beautiful Chinese pavilion, as well as the unusual Gothic entrance gate.

Until five in the evening, you can order an informative tour with a guide through the castle grounds. And here you can also have a delicious lunch in small cafes and buy traditional souvenirs in specialized shops.
You can visit the castle every day from 10:00 to 17:00. And the price of an entrance ticket is for an adult - $ 4, and for a student or child - free of charge. You can get to your destination by tram 4, 5, 12 to the Schlossbergbahn (SacktraBc) stop or by a sightseeing trip around the city of Graz.

City Attractions There are many interesting sights to visit around the city of Graz. One of them is an arena built in the mid-1990s and originally named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was born and raised in the Austrian village of Thal before becoming famous. But it was renamed in 2005 to SKP Arena. Also a very beautiful place to visit is the Landhaushof. This beautiful courtyard was created in the second half of the 15th century. It is famous for its surrounding Renaissance façade and dramatic arches. As well as luxurious, thanks to Italian architecture, buildings around the palace. Also a historically interesting place to visit is the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, located in the Old Town area. You can visit this place on any day from 10:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 16:00. And you can also relax and get a lot of pleasure near the Moore River and explore the artificial island "Moore Island" in the form of an open shell. And just have a good time, swim and sunbathe on Coppabana beach. The beach and island are open daily and entry is free.