Clock tower in Graz

The Grazer Uhrturm stands near the southern end of the Schlossberg, a steep 123-metre dolomite ridge that carries the medieval fortress above the city. It rises 28 metres above the main square, giving it a commanding view over the rooftops of Graz. Four great dials, each more than five metres across, face the four points of the compass. The golden hands were added in the 18th century, when the tower’s clockwork was rebuilt to show minutes as well as hours. The tower has guarded the city since the 13th century. Records from 1265 already mention a watchtower on the ramparts, and by 1569 it housed the first public clock with three dials. In 1712 a fourth face was added so that the north side could be read from the suburbs. During the Napoleonic siege of 1809 an artillery ball struck the masonry but the structure survived. Later, Graz’s citizens ransomed the tower from demolition, and in 2008–2011 it underwent full restoration after damp had weakened the walls. Visitors climb the narrow spiral stair to the wooden watchman’s gallery that encircles the upper shaft. From here the whole inner city can be surveyed, just as fire-watchers once did. Below the tower the Stone Dog perches on a ledge, a medieval statue said to commemorate a barking hound that saved an emperor’s daughter. The tower’s three bells still mark the hours, sound fire alarms and once tolled for executions. At night the golden hands glow against the dark stone, making the Uhrturm the unmistakable emblem of Graz.