Burgruine Petersberg

Burg Petersberg stands on a ridge above Friesach in Carinthia. The ruins mark the site of a medieval fortress built by Salzburg’s archbishops to control Alpine passes. Friesach itself first appears in records from the ninth century when King Louis the German granted land to Archbishop Adalwin. The fortress played a key role in the Investiture Controversy. In 1076 Archbishop Gebhard built the castle to block King Henry IV’s route south. Later, in 1123–24, it withstood an attack by Duke Engelbert II of Carinthia. Kings and emperors used the stronghold: Conrad III rested here after the Second Crusade, Richard the Lionheart passed through in 1192, and Frederick Barbarossa occupied it in 1170. The last major work came from Archbishop Leonhard of Keutschach between 1495 and 1505, giving the site its present form before a fire in 1673 left it in ruins. Today the six-storey keep dominates the ruins and houses Friesach’s town museum. Nearby lie the remains of older chapels built by Gebhard and Konrad. The lower courtyard preserves a 16th-century building that now serves as an inn. At the highest point, the upper courtyard offers views across the surrounding countryside and retains two small round towers that once guarded the main gate.