Schloss Straßburg

Straßburg, Austria, Austria

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Schloss Straßburg is a large, historic fortified castle situated on a hill above the town of Straßburg in the Gurk valley of Carinthia, Austria.

It was founded in the 12th century by Bishop Roman I of Gurk, who built it on a strategically important road leading to Gurk as a “road castle” (the name Straßburg literally means “road fortress”) and as a powerful symbol of the independence of the Gurk bishops from the Archbishop of Salzburg.

For more than 600 years, from its construction until 1783, the castle served as the main residence of the bishops of Gurk and gradually developed into one of the largest and most impressive defended castle complexes in Austria, with a prominent Renaissance and Baroque core, imposing walls, towers, and a celebrated arcaded courtyard dating from the 17th century.