| Hochosterwitz Castle (German: Burg Hochosterwitz, Slovene: Grad Ostrovica) is considered to be one of Austria's most impressive medieval castles. It is situated on a 160 metres (520 ft) Dolomite rock near Sankt Georgen am Längsee, east of the town of Sankt Veit an der Glan in the state of Carinthia. The castle is one of the state's landmarks and can be seen from about 30 km (19 mi) away on a clear day.
Since the 16th century, no major changes have been made to Hochosterwitz. It has also remained in the possession of the Khevenhüller family as requested by the original builder, George Khevenhüller. A marble plaque dating from 1576 in the castle yard documents this request.
Some parts of the castle are open to the public every year from Easter to the end of October. Tourists are allowed to walk the 620 metres (2,030 ft) long pathway through the 14 gates up to the castle; each gate has a diagram of the defense mechanism used to seal that particular gate. |