Schloss Hallegg

Schloss Hallegg stands on a slope east of Klagenfurt in Carinthia. Its oldest parts date from the 13th century, when it was a fortress of local nobles. In the 16th century the Welzer family turned the medieval stronghold into a Renaissance palace. Today the castle remains in private hands, cared for by the Helmigk family. The building forms an irregular rectangle around two courtyards. The western wing, added by Viktor Welzer in 1576, holds a vaulted knights’ hall on the first floor. Its marble tablet records that Viktor Welzer and his wife Elisabeth Khevenhüller built the wing. The two-storey arcaded courtyard beyond carries 1547 sgraffiti showing the Welzer and Khevenhüller coats of arms. A medieval core survives on the north side, where a gate tower was added under Moritz Welzer. Visitors enter through a vaulted passage into the south-east wing. The second courtyard is framed by three-storey arcades and a small chapel dedicated to Saint Francis. The chapel’s 1749 frescoes have vanished, but the stone structure remains. The castle’s plain façades and uneven windows give it a severe, unadorned appearance. From the slope the view stretches across the surrounding countryside.