Photos: Isiwal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Taxiarchos228, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Isiwal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Taxiarchos228, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
What survived when the fortress fell
Your local guide
Bernhard Koller
View profile
Highlights
- An hour hand bigger than the minute hand
- A tower ransomed by local citizens
- The only two survivors of a fortress
- A clock built to be read from below
- Graz's demolition of 1809, explained
About this tour
This session looks closely at the two structures that survived when the rest of the Schlossberg fortress came down in 1809. You see the clock tower's oversized hour hand up close, then the bell tower nearby that locals paid to save from the same demolition. It stays with these two buildings rather than the wider hill.
I explain the design reasoning behind the clock face first, then move to the bell tower's story of being ransomed by the citizens. Questions about the demolition and what survived are welcome throughout.
This suits anyone interested in a single, focused piece of local history rather than a wider walk. It also works well paired with a walk up through the park itself.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Graz before heading out.
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Uhrturm Clock Tower 21 min
You see the clock tower's face up close, and I explain why the hour hand is larger than the minute hand, a design made so the time could be read from the streets far below.
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Bell Tower Remnant 21 min
Nearby, the camera finds the other surviving structure from the old fortress, ransomed by local citizens from the demolition that took down everything else around it.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Graz: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Backhendl (Styrian fried chicken) and Lend, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Vienna time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Graz, showing you Uhrturm Clock Tower and Bell Tower Remnant live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet and the link comes with your booking. I climb Schlossberg most mornings anyway, so the pace on this one stays steady and unhurried.
Times shown in Vienna time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Thu 29 Oct · 10 seats left From 21,00 €
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