Gösting

Gösting is the thirteenth district of Graz, set between the Mur river and the Plabutsch mountain in north-west Styria. The ruined castle of Gösting stands on the ridge above, reached by paths through mixed woodland. Below, the old village grew around a stream called Thalbach, where millers once worked. The castle was founded in the 12th century by Aribon Swiker von Gösting. In the 18th century lightning set the main building alight, leaving only the chapel, keep and parts of the walls. The Counts of Attems later built a modest Baroque palace at the foot of the hill to replace it. Street names still recall the mayors who led the community before it joined Graz in 1938. Visitors climb to the ruins for wide views across the Graz basin and the rolling hills of East Styria. Inside the keep a small museum explains the site’s history, and a tavern offers food and drink. Nearby, the Church of St Anne occupies a former brewery building, while the slopes still carry the name Weinbergweg, a reminder of the vineyards that once covered the hills.