Manors and country castles, which were everywhere to be found a long time ago, along with the walls of deserted medieval castles dressed in ivy, tend to tickle the imagination of today’s travellers. We can still see the images of powerful nobles and counts and their squires rising from the mighty stone forts. They are forever written in famous chapters of local history. Their destiny in our times is different: some of those castles and manors are high quality hotels, some are museums and galleries or exhibition places, some are still magnificent ruins, which serve only as colourful scenery of the summer festivals and other open shows.  

Spittal by the Drava river/Spittal an der Drau

The central architectural object in Spittal is Porcia Castle, which is justifiably one of the first truly renaissance buildings in alpine area. Castle with rich sculptural decorations has been built by Spanish noble Gabriel Salamanca in 1524. Once we are inside the castle we can visit the museum or one of the shows in the arched courtyard.  

Castle of Ostrovica /Hochosterwitz

On the east side of Saint Vid/St.Veit an der Glan, on the rock 160m high, is fortress Ostrovica. We can reach the fortress through 14 fortified doors and there we can look at interesting collection of medieval weaponry. 

Drive across the border pass Vič to Podgorje near Slovenj Gradec, lunch.

On the Hermit’s path to the ruins of Vodriž castle

The Hermit’s path leads through forest with mighty trees, which fulfil us with healing energy, up to the ruins of the Vodriž castle. The castle has been built in 14^th century and belongs to gothic castles. Some individual details of the ruins are preserved in their original state. There was a gothic castle chapel inside the walls, from which we preserved some high quality stonecutting details.