Schloss Bichlhof

Schloss Bichlhof stands on a plateau above the Gail valley in the small settlement of Bichlhof, part of the parish of St Stefan. The building is a two-storey stately home with a hipped roof, its present appearance dating from a renovation around 1800. The main façade is symmetrical, with a round-arched gateway at its centre topped by a pair of windows. The windows all have shouldered frames, and the plastered quoins at the corners alternate between convex and concave shapes. Inside, the entrance hall is covered by a cross-vaulted ceiling. A small chapel with a pitched roof sits to the west of the main block. The estate has belonged to several noble families since the 16th century. According to tradition, one of the sons of the mining entrepreneur Maximilian Christoph Viertaler received the property early in that century, but the first written record dates from 1660, when Ferencz Gregoritsch was the owner. After passing through several hands, it became the principal seat of the Aichelburg-Bichelhof barons, who kept it until 1929. Brief spells under Otto Kharassnig and Blasius Leiler followed before the Rieckh family of Graz acquired the house in 1941. Visitors approach along the plateau and enter through the central gateway. Inside, the cross-vaulted entrance hall leads to the main rooms on the ground floor. The chapel, with its simple rectangular plan, can be reached from the western side of the building. The surrounding plateau offers wide views across the Gail valley, and the quiet settlement below adds to the sense of seclusion. The alternating convex and concave quoins give the exterior a distinctive rhythm, while the shouldered window frames and twin window above the gate add subtle detail.