Villach Castle, Villach, Austria - SpottingHistory.com

Villach castle was first mentioned in 1270 and built probably in 1233. There are still remains of original tower and north wall. The existing castle was built in the 16th century and remodelled several times after that. The chapel dates from the 14th century. Today there is a exhibition of archaeological foundings.

Castles and fortifications in Austria

User Reviews

Kyle Mika (2 years ago)
Great expierence. It might be hard to understand for others since it's all in German, but the show was spectacular and funny! I was here in 2011 and after 9 years, it still did not disappoint.

Marieke Hannen (2 years ago)
Entrance is cash only... So after 30 minutes in line you can turn back. Very corona unfriendly to handle all that cash. Plus it's 2020.. Come on. It would be nice to mention on your website that there's a additional parking fee plus cash needed.

Luke smolders (2 years ago)
There are no Corona / COVID 19 measurements in place! Way to much people can enter. The birds are in small cages. Atm this should be closed, in order to protect people's health. Pro's: show presenters are very enthousiastic.

Caroline Chevillotte (2 years ago)
Very interesting and informative experience! You can enjoy the beauty of eagles and falcons flying over the castle. The team is professional and you can feel they're very passionate about what they do. They share a lot of stories and information about birds, eagles and falconry. The money goes to the castle's animal clinic.

Bálint Sólyom (2 years ago)
Very unique experience - much more interesting than just seeing the birds in a zoo. The presenter is also good (it is in german of course). Seemed like the birds also enjoyed the play, so luckily not a circus-like thing.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. It is thought that settlement at the broch continued into the 5th century AD, the period known as Pictish times. By that time the broch was not used anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Until about the 8th century, the site was just a single farmstead.

In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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