Grafenstein: Discover Culture, Art and Floodplain Landscapes

Grafenstein offers a diverse combination of historic architecture, distinctive art and landscapes along the Gurk and Drau rivers. Those looking for a vacation apartment for their stay can consider the town as a starting point for a variety of vacation days: The itinerary includes castles and churches as well as hiking opportunities, floodplain landscapes and special insights into the history of regional crafts and art.

Historic Architecture in Grafenstein and the Surrounding Area

A prominent point of reference is the castle of the Princes Orsini-Rosenberg in Grafenstein. Johann Andreas von Rosenberg had it built in 1638. The castle is therefore one of the specific historical points of reference that you can discover while exploring the town.

The parish church of St. Stephen has a barrel vault with lunettes and extensive Rococo stucco decoration dating from 1756. It is complemented by Baroque ceiling paintings in the nave and choir. Those interested in church art and historic interior design will find another focal point here for their travel planning.

In Dolina stands the pilgrimage and motorway church of St. Mary in the Forest. It was redesigned in 1999/2000 by the architectural partnership of Ferdinand Certov and Robert Morianz. The Church of St. Anne in Saager features remnants of Romanesque style and was expanded during the Baroque period. These different construction phases make the sacred sites distinctive themes within a culturally oriented stay.

Art, Crafts and Special Discoveries

The Saager Werkhaus was created by Giselbert Hoke. Together with its outdoor grounds, it forms a unique ensemble and an overall artistic work comprising architecture, space, design and art. Saager Castle near Grafenstein was also a center of Giselbert Hoke’s artistic work.

The workshop weeks at the Saager Werkhaus are also part of this artistic context. They have developed into an open studio where artists come together, engage intensively with contemporary art and search for new approaches in their individual visual language. For your travel planning, this offers a different way of experiencing the region than a purely historical visit.

A distinctive craft-related trail leads to Austria’s last hand-operated brickworks, located in the municipality of Grafenstein and run by Sarah Falkinger. The Grafensteiner Platte also refers to floor tiles originally produced at the brickworks of the Orsini-Rosenberg family. Details like these give the town’s history a concrete, tangible dimension.

Hiking and Landscapes Along the Gurk and Drau

Grafenstein offers a wide variety of hiking opportunities; along the Gurk and Drau rivers, there are floodplain landscapes in Grafenstein. If you would like to combine culture and landscape, you can take these themes into account when choosing your vacation apartment and deciding on the focus of your trip.

Guidance for Your Travel Planning

The Dolina–Maria im Walde motorway church is signposted east of Klagenfurt, before the Poggersdorf motorway exit. For further planning, you can take this point of reference into account alongside Grafenstein’s historical and artistic themes. This creates a stay shaped, depending on your interests, more strongly by architecture, art, crafts or landscape.

If you would like to look at additional local pages for your travel planning besides Grafenstein, here is a compact selection: Sankt Bartlmä, Radsberg, Töpriach, Techelsberg Am Wörther See, Reifnitz, Schiefling Am See, Krumpendorf and Wurdach.

To the higher-level travel overview: Klagenfurt-Land.