Schloss Stein

Stein, Austria, Austria

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Schloss Stein is a striking medieval castle perched on a steep rocky cliff about 200 metres above the Drau River in the Carinthian Drautal, between the villages of Dellach and Irschen in the municipality of Dellach im Drautal, Austria.

Originally a Romanesque fortress from the early 12th century, it was greatly expanded in the early 16th century into a Renaissance palace and is now owned by the Orsini‑Rosenberg family; its most celebrated feature is the double chapel, two Romanesque–late Gothic chapels stacked one above the other, connected by an opening in the floor and decorated with important late‑15th‑century frescoes by the Südtiroler artist Simon von Taisten, which are counted as one of the artistic highlights of the Alpine region.

Today the castle is still inhabited, its residential rooms are comfortably modernised, and it can be rented as an exclusive holiday castle for up to 12 people, offering private accommodation with panoramic views over the upper Drautal to the Karawanken and the Tyrolean Alps, while the Bergfried (keep) is partly ruined and used as a viewing tower, and the site is accessible on foot or by bicycle along the river but not open as a public museum except for special events such as the annual Day of the Monuments.