Hochosterwitz Castle

Hochosterwitz is the castle children draw: a single rock rising out of flat farmland with walls spiralling up it. The defences were built out in the sixteenth century by the Khevenhuller family, who strung fourteen gates along the only path to the top, each with its own drawbridge, tower or trap. Walking up through them takes about half an hour and is the real experience, since the courtyard at the summit is comparatively plain, with a chapel, an armoury and a terrace over the Glan valley. In clear weather the Karawanken ridge shows along the southern horizon.

What you actually see

• The fourteen gates - the spiral path up the rock, each gate built as a separate obstacle.
• The summit courtyard - the chapel, arcades and terrace at the top of the climb.
• The armoury - the arms and armour kept by the family that fortified the rock.
• The view over the plain - the Glan valley, farmland and the Karawanken ridge to the south.

When to go

Open from spring to autumn only, with the gate path in daily use and a lift running for those who need it. Morning light is better for photographing the rock from the road. Late April and September are quiet; summer weekends and Carinthian school holidays are not. Allow real time for the walk up.

Honest expectations

The climb is steady rather than hard, but it is thirty minutes of continuous ascent with little shade, and the lift costs extra. Once at the top the interiors are limited, and a food operation dominates the courtyard. The castle closes for months in winter, when only the exterior view from the road is possible.

Nearby

Sankt Veit an der Glan and the churches of the Gurk valley are both close.