Riegersburg Castle

Riegersburg Castle stands on the remains of an extinct volcano in the Austrian province of Styria. The hill rises 482 metres above sea level, its basalt core used to build the fortress. The town of Riegersburg lies below, while the castle itself belongs to the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. A museum occupies part of the building, with rooms devoted to changing exhibitions. The castle’s history began in 1122 when Rudiger von Hohenberg became its first recorded knight. Later owners included the Walseer family, who quarrelled with the Styrian sovereign in 1415. The most influential figure was Katharina Elisabeth von Wechsler, known as Gallerin. Between 1637 and 1653 she expanded the castle into one of the strongest in the land. Its walls stretch for three kilometres, pierced by five gates and flanked by two trenches. Visitors enter through the gates and walk along the ramparts that once kept invaders at bay. Twenty-five of the castle’s 108 rooms are open to the public. Sixteen rooms trace the fortress’s past, while nine focus on witch trials that took place nearby. From the battlements the view stretches across the surrounding countryside. The Liechtenstein family still owns the castle, though they live in a house in the town below.