Grafenstein brings together clearly dated architectural history, church art, a cultural theme shaped by Hoke, craftsmanship and river landscapes. This offers different ways to plan your trip: you can focus on architecture and art, or put hiking and scenery at the heart of your stay. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide which of these themes you want to shape your visit.
Castle History and Church Architecture
The castle of the Princes of Orsini-Rosenberg in Grafenstein was built in 1638 by Johann Andreas von Rosenberg. This date provides a clear point of comparison with the later-dated furnishings and alterations to the churches.
The parish church of St. Stephen in Grafenstein has a barrel vault with lunettes and an extensive Rococo stucco decoration dating from 1756. Baroque ceiling paintings are found in the nave and choir. The vault form, stucco and paintings offer different perspectives on the design of the church interior.
In Saager, the Church of St. Anne has remnants of Romanesque features and was extended during the Baroque period. Compared with St. Stephen, a different layering of periods emerges here: Romanesque elements meet a later extension at St. Anne, while St. Stephen is shaped, among other things, by the stucco decoration of 1756 and Baroque ceiling paintings. Anyone focusing on church architecture can compare these different periods and forms of design.
Art Connections Around Saager
Saager Castle near Grafenstein was a centre of Giselbert Hoke’s artistic work. Another connection to Hoke is Werkhaus Saager, which he created. Together with its grounds, it forms a unique ensemble and a total work of art combining architecture, space, design and art. The focus is therefore on the interplay between these areas, distinguishing it from the consideration of individual decorative details in the churches.
Church in Dolina
The pilgrimage and motorway church of St. Mary in the Woods is located in Dolina and was redesigned in 1999/2000 by the architectural partnership of Ferdinand Certov and Robert Morianz. This dated redesign provides another point of comparison with the older construction and furnishing histories of St. Stephen and St. Anne. Signs for the Dolina–Mary in the Woods motorway church are posted east of Klagenfurt, before the Poggersdorf motorway exit; this is a specific reference point for planning trips in the region.
Craftsmanship, Hiking and River Landscapes
One example of local craftsmanship is Grafensteiner Platte: the name refers to floor tiles originally made at the Orsini-Rosenberg family’s brickworks. Austria’s last hand-operated brickworks is located in the municipality of Grafenstein and is run by Sarah Falkinger. Business details may change; if you are considering a visit, check the latest information in advance.
Grafenstein offers a wide range of hiking opportunities. There are floodplain landscapes along the Gurk and the Drau in Grafenstein. This means that, alongside architecture and art history, hiking and river landscapes are also distinct themes to choose from when planning your trip. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide whether you want your stay to focus more on churches and art or on outdoor activities and scenery.
Discover more destinations: Lukowitz, Pörtschach Am Wörther See, Sekirn, Sekull, Plescherken, Moosburg in Carinthia, Radsberg, Maria Rain
For the overall travel guide: Klagenfurt-Land.
