One of the most beautiful castles in Austria, Gahostervitz is as if drawn by the hand of an all-powerful painter on the slopes of a solitary rock: its terraces climb down steep slopes, and from different directions he appears to the traveler with new species. The surrounding flat landscapes have made Gokhostervitz also the most "notable" landmark of the country: on a fine day it can be seen for no less than 30 km!

A bit of history

Gokhostervitz Castle keeps its history from the end of 9 century . Then these territories belonged to the Slovenian principality of Carantania (hence the modern name of the land - Carinthia), and at the top of a separate 160-meter cliff it was decided to erect a fortress to prevent the possible appearance of the enemy . The castle was owned for a long time by the Osterwitz family, and in the 15th century for lack of money hereditors, he became the property of the Emperor Frederick III, the descendant of which in turn gave Gokhostervits to the governor of Carinthia . The last major changes in the layout and architecture of the castle date back to the 16th century, after which Gokhostervitz was no longer rebuilt .

What to see

Gokhostervitz Castle is located on terraces on a rock and consists of two bo The most remarkable structure of which is a 20-meter-high water-collecting cistern cut in the rock . There are 14 gates throughout the fortress walls, each of them has his own face and an interesting story . At the gates of Fenrich, for example, you can see images of the flags of Carinthia and the kind of castle owners, behind the Watchtowers certainly worth paying attention to boulders - they were planned to be thrown onto the enemy's heads at w tour of the castle, and at the gate of Kevenhüller you will be greeted by the armored figure of the founder of the castle . In addition to the gate, the entrance to the fortress was regulated by five lift bridges . Directly in the residential castle of Gokhostervice you should see magnificent medieval interiors and visit an excellent museum, collection of armor, as well as a wooden statue of the legendary giant of the keeper of the fortress .

Address and opening hours

Address: Hochosterwitz 1, Launsdorf

Opening Hours: May to September - 9 am-6pm; from October to April - from 10 am to 5 pm

Visiting fee: 12 EUR or 10, 80 EUR with a guest card of Carinthia. The climb from the foot of the cliff to the castle on the lift costs 6 EUR.