Hochosterwitz Castle

Hochosterwitz Castle is a castle in Austria, considered one of Austria's most impressive medieval castles. It is on a 172-meter high dolomite rock near Sankt Georgen am Längsee, east of the town of Sankt Veit an der Glan in Carinthia. The rock castle is one of the state's landmarks and a major tourist attraction.

What makes the castle appear so strong is the well-suited position of the whole complex. The winding access is blocked by 14 fortified gates and opens up at the armory yard in front of the main castle. Only their extremely clever and technically correct construction made the castle impregnable as the enemy had to conquer gate by gate but was attacked from all sides at the same time.

Highlights

• The gates: the castle has 14 named gates
• The armory: A variety of objects have been preserved to this day weapons and exhibited

Opening hours

April 1st till May 14th and September 15th till November 22nd: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In November: From Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
May 15th till September 14th: daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm.