Petersberg Castle

Friesach, Austria

Around 1076 Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg, a follower of Pope Gregory VII in the Investiture Controversy, had the Petersberg fortress erected above the town in order to prevent Emperor Henry IV from crossing the Alps. The archbishop also had fierce enemies in the Carinthian ducal House of Sponheim, who after his deposition made several attempts to take possession of Friesach. Constant attacks by Duke Engelbert were finally repelled in 1124. In 1149 King Conrad III of Germany stayed at the castle on his way back from the Second Crusade, as did Richard the Lionheart returning from the Third Crusade in 1192, attempting to elude the guards of Duke Leopold V of Austria.

Today the castle is home to the Friesach City Museum, which features exhibits about the town's history, culture, mining industry and trade.

Address

Petersbergweg 18, Friesach, Austria

See all sites in Friesach

Details

Founded: c. 1076
Category: Castles and fortifications in Austria

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Dürnstein Castle (4,3 km)

Hochosterwitz Castle (22,1 km)
Gurk Cathedral (11,9 km)
Wernberg Convent (51,4 km)
Ossiach Abbey (44,2 km)
St. Lambrecht's Abbey (15,4 km)
Strassburg Castle (8,1 km)
Viktring Abbey (41,5 km)
Seckau Abbey (46,2 km)
Griffen Castle Ruins (37 km)

User Reviews

pepe66ried (7 months ago)
If you visit Friesach, you shouldn't forget to climb to Petersburg Castle. Some of them are in good condition, some of them are already showing their age. During the climb, starting from the parish church of Saint Bartholomew, you can enjoy the city view over the whole of Friesach. Unfortunately there were no castle festivals taking place during the visit - this would have made the visit even more interesting.

Karine (11 months ago)
In good weather, a wonderful place for nature walks with amazing panoramas and immersion in history. Ancient ruins breathe history. I think in winter, too, the view from the top of the city is mesmerizing. Sometimes theatrical performances take place here, judging by the posters.

Leonid Povar (3 years ago)
Very interesting place with beautiful views

Livia Papst (4 years ago)
Very nice ambience

Walter Sailer (4 years ago)
A great castle complex. I'm looking forward to the next time when everything is open again ...

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

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Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.