Graz Quiz: Schlossberg Clock Tower and the Friendly Alien

This Graz quiz climbs the Schlossberg in Austria's second largest city. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on the Clock Tower with reversed hands, how citizens saved it from Napoleon in 1809, the Kunsthaus nicknamed the Friendly Alien, the Murinsel island in the river, UNESCO status with Eggenberg Palace, the 2003 culture capital title and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Region
Which Austrian state is Graz the capital of?
Hill
Which hill rises above Graz's old town?
Clock
What is odd about the Clock Tower's hands?
Napoleon
How was the Clock Tower saved in 1809?
Alien
What is the Kunsthaus nicknamed?
Island
What is the Murinsel?
Culture
Which title did Graz hold in 2003?
Palace
Which palace was added to Graz's UNESCO listing?
Star
Which famous actor grew up near Graz?
Slide
What record-breaking ride is inside the Schlossberg?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which Austrian state is Graz the capital of?
Answer: Styria
It is Austria's second largest city.
Q2: Which hill rises above Graz's old town?
Answer: Schlossberg
Paths and a lift climb it.
Q3: What is odd about the Clock Tower's hands?
Answer: The long hand shows the hours
Originally only an hour hand existed.
Q4: How was the Clock Tower saved in 1809?
Answer: Citizens paid a ransom
The fortress around it was destroyed.
Q5: What is the Kunsthaus nicknamed?
Answer: The Friendly Alien
It opened in 2003.
Q6: What is the Murinsel?
Answer: A steel island in the Mur River
It holds a café and stage.
Q7: Which title did Graz hold in 2003?
Answer: European Capital of Culture
New landmarks were built for it.
Q8: Which palace was added to Graz's UNESCO listing?
Answer: Eggenberg Palace
It is famous for its planetary design.
Q9: Which famous actor grew up near Graz?
Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger
A museum honors him in his village.
Q10: What record-breaking ride is inside the Schlossberg?
Answer: A long underground slide
It twists down inside the hill.

A Reversed Clock and a Friendly Alien

Graz, capital of Styria and Austria's second largest city, is crowned by the Schlossberg hill. Its Clock Tower has a curious feature: the long hand shows the hours, because the clock originally had only an hour hand, and the minute hand was added later.

In 1809 Napoleon's troops demolished the Schlossberg fortress, but citizens paid a ransom to save the Clock Tower and the bell tower. Today visitors reach the hilltop by path, lift or funicular, and a long underground slide twists back down inside the hill.

For its year as European Capital of Culture in 2003, Graz built the Kunsthaus, a blue bubble-shaped art museum nicknamed the Friendly Alien, and the Murinsel, a steel island in the Mur River. The old town and Eggenberg Palace form a UNESCO site, and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up nearby.

What This Quiz Teaches

Travel fans will enjoy these questions.

Where Graz is
What makes the clock unusual
How it was saved
Which modern landmarks stand out
Who grew up nearby

Did You Know?

Graz has a large university population.
Pumpkin seed oil is a Styrian specialty.
Rooftops of red tiles fill the old town.
The Landhaus courtyard is a Renaissance gem.
Trams run free in parts of the center.