Burgruine Landskron Castle:
Best of Carinthia from Above
The ruined castle of Burgruine Landskron can be found north-east of Villach, by the Ossiach Tauern mountains on a rock that overshadows the village of St. Andrä by Lake Ossiachersee. Its dramatic setting makes Landskron one of the top things to see in Carinthia. Today, medieval style plays take place here and a regular display of falconry.
The area around the castle was first populated around 800 BC. In 878 AD, the area around today′s Landskron Castle was first mentioned in a written document. It was given to the Bavarian monastery of Altötting. In 1028, the Counts of Ozzi became the landlords - a little later the Counts of Sternberg took over. It was the Sternbergs who began to build the castle on the site. In 1330, it was sold to the Counts of Ortenburg and in a document dating to 1351, the castle is first referred to as "Landskron".
The regular change of the landlord continued beyond that year: In 1355, the Habsburgs received Landskron and gave it to the Counts of Cilli. Between 1436 and 1447, the castle was the seat of the House of Stubenberg; and in 1511, Emperor Maximilian I gave Landskron to the Knight Order of St. George. In 1542, the medieval castle burnt down and was not repaired.
Landskron: Among Carinthia's Favourite Day-Trips
The same year, the Count Christoph von Khevenhüller purchased the ruined castle and made it the "headquarter" of his house. The Khevenhüllers added a "von Landskron" to their name and built a new castle: A vast Renaissance mix of military building and palace, including double walls and seven towers. It became the political and intellectual centre for the region.
Even Emperor Karl V visited the castle in 1552. Stupidly, the Khevenhüller turned protestant and in the course of the counter-reformation, the protestant nobility lost their property in 1628. In 1639, it was bought by the Counts of Dietrichstein. However, the castle had lost its Renaissance glory and did not recover.
In 1812, lightning caused a fire that destroyed the roof and much of the interiors that were left. It was not repaired and fell into disrepair. Only in 1953, the local Hans Maresch began to use Landskron as a tourist attraction.
Falconry on Burg Landskron & Nearby Attractions
Today, the walls are secured, host a hotel and a restaurant supplies the hungry crowds of tourists. Visitors can either climb the hill or take the car, parking lots are nearby. Apart from the scenery and the castle itself, it is the falconry show and the "Affenberg", an enclosure for over 100 macaque monkeys, that attract tourists.
Nearby attractions include the previously mentioned Lake Ossiachersee and the town of Ossiach with its monastery; the town of Villach and the thermal spa of Warmbad Villach; Lake Wörther See and Velden; and Carinthia′s capital Klagenfurt.
Back to: "Carinthia
Sightseeing Guide"
Sightseeing by Austrian Province
Bregenz and Vorarlberg - Innsbruck and Tyrol - Salzburg - Salzkammergut - Graz and Styria - Klagenfurt and Carinthia - Wachau and Lower Austria - Vienna - Burgenland
Further Reading
Official Website of Landskron Castle
