Two themes provide a clear focus for a trip to Kraig: the history of its castle complexes and routes to cultural landmarks. The area is not defined by ruins alone. A chapel, a medieval aqueduct and Lake Kraiger add architectural history, water supply and landscape to the picture.
Castles, architectural history and landscape
The popular name “Kraiger Schlösser” refers to the castle complexes stretching from Frauenstein to Kraig. It describes a group of complexes, not just a single castle. The name also appears in the designation of the protected landscape area. The area around the Kraiger Schlösser was declared a protected landscape area in the 1970s. Lake Kraiger is located within the 532-hectare “Kraiger Schlösser” protected landscape area. The group of castles and the protected landscape are therefore distinct points of reference in Kraig. Converted, the protected landscape area covers 5.32 square kilometres—the same area, expressed in a different unit.
Only the ruins of Niederkraig Castle remain; they are located in a densely wooded area. The ruins contain the St. John of Nepomuk Chapel. It was created in 1730 by converting a round tower. This transformation is a distinctive detail in the site’s architectural history: the chapel was built within an existing tower. The ruins of Hochkraig Castle offer a different highlight; they are small and well worth a visit.
A medieval aqueduct in the forest carried the water supply between Hochkraig and Niederkraig. This adds another kind of historical trace to the castle complexes and chapel: a structure built to supply water. The aqueduct carried water between the two places, while the chapel was created by converting a round tower.
These features also belong to different periods: the aqueduct dates back to the Middle Ages, the round tower was converted into a chapel in 1730, and the area around the Kraiger Schlösser was declared a protected landscape area in the 1970s. These dates relate to different aspects of the area’s architectural and landscape history.
Hiking trails with different destinations
Marked hiking trails pass cultural landmarks, from the Kraiger Schlösser and other ruins to Frauenstein Castle. This wider network of marked cultural landmarks covers a broader area than the specifically named trails and their individual destinations.
A hike to the Kraiger Schlösser starts at Frauenstein Castle and continues along the Panorama Trail to Lake Kraiger. By contrast, a walk along the Kraiger Schlösser leads to the Provost Church of Kraig. The destinations are therefore different: the lake is the destination of the hike along the Panorama Trail, while the Provost Church is the destination of the walk; Frauenstein Castle is also the stated starting point for the hike. This lets you compare the route options according to your preferred destination.
Discover more destinations: Flattnitz, Weitensfeld in the Gurktal, Sankt Georgen am Längsee, Metnitz, Micheldorf, Frauenstein, Eggen, Deutsch Griffen.
For the overview of the wider area: Sankt Veit an der Glan.
