Herberstein Castle, which we were to visit, is privately owned. The estate, surrounded by a park, has gardens and its own zoo. We started with it.
As far back as the 16th century, the distant ancestors of the current owners of Herberstein Castle began to collect a collection of world fauna and bring birds and animals from everywhere, establishing the zoo, and in the 17th century it already began to function. Representatives of 5 continents of the planet today inhabit spacious enclosures located on 40 hectares. These are 100 species, 1000 individuals, including wolves and cheetahs, cougars and llamas, zebras and kangaroos, ostriches and eagle owls, swans and monkeys, Malay bears, deer and other animals. And whole families of goats with kids. These pretty girls calmly treat visitors and even allow themselves to be stroked. It was not realistic to look at everyone during the short excursion (the main purpose of which was still the castle), so we saw only those whose aviaries were on the way to our castle.
Styria is said to be a real apple paradise. And indeed, apple trees are everywhere. Even in the zoo, apples ripen on the trees, exuding a wonderful aroma.
Looking for a moment at something like an observation deck, we saw the castle below, it only fueled our curiosity and reminded that the time of our visit to the castle is strictly defined, and there is no way to linger at every step to enjoy the flora and fauna.
The gardens on the estate are no less attractive. One Sigmund garden with flower terraces at different levels and a stepped pond resembling a mountain rivulet, which is worth it. And the sunny weather only increased the saturation of colors around and added enthusiastic impressions.
There is in the count's park ... a small pond, passing the bridge through it, you can admire the golden carps. And right behind it is a rose garden with greenhouses. This is a miracle! Roses are red, yellow, white, pink and even green! It is hardly possible to describe such beauty in words; one must see it with one's own eyes.
After strolling through the parkland and leaving behind the zoo and the rose garden, Taisia, our guide, opened the doors of the covered gallery (with her key!), Which looked like a secret passage. Through the openwork forged lattices, the park seemed even more romantic. Going down, we only had time to look through narrow windows into the gorge and the slopes around.
I must say that the castle is located not on a high mountain ledge, as is most often the case, but on the bottom of the gorge, surrounded on 3 sides by the Faystrits river. Nevertheless, the natural base is a powerful cliff 422 m high above sea level. This unusual position provided the castle with secrecy from prying eyes and inaccessibility. And, among other things, the arms arsenal of the fortress (up to 1000 hand grenades, 30 swords, 100 stars and huge powder supplies) was great, thanks to which the castle has never been captured by anyone during its entire existence.
Herberstein Castle (with German - “bitter stone”) has a rich history. First, in its place was a fortress (1215). Since 1290, it became the property of the old Austrian family Herberstein, and already in 1300, by order of Otto von Herberstein, the fortress began to be rebuilt into a luxurious palace complex, later descendants continued its undertaking.
For almost 400 years, the castle was built, so Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque were mixed in its architecture. The family grew, which made adjustments to the process of creating a family nest, during the XV-XVI centuries the castle was significantly expanded, casemates, the Knights' Hall and the Cannon Tower were completed, as required by the Renaissance fashion, for the defense they surrounded the castle with a deep castle moat.
In the second half of the XVII century, under Maximilian von Herberstein, the design of the Florentine courtyard in the form of a two-story arcade and massive gates, over which the coat of arms of a noble noble family was placed, gave the castle a finished look.
By the end of the XVII century, in addition to farm buildings, a gardener’s house and a local farmer’s yard were equipped, and the creation of the chapel put an end to the creation of the Herberstein family residence. So we see him today.
It so happened that in the XVIII century, 1/5 of the land of Styria belonged to the Herberstein family. Only the maintenance of the castle had to pay tribute to almost a thousand peasant families. Stable incomes and a strong political position contributed to the fact that Herberstein Castle became not only one of the most beautiful and richest castle complexes in Austria, but also throughout Europe.
And for more than 7 centuries, it not only belongs to a noble noble family, but also serves as its home. Countess Felicita von Herberstein leads a secluded life in the castle, preferring to remain inaccessible to curious tourists, providing them with part of the castle premises for inspection.
External inspection of the courtyard smoothly flowed into the interior of the castle, the first of which was a living room with a large fireplace and a portrait gallery of the ancestors of the Herberstein dynasty.
Returning to history again, it must be said that among the family members were not only barons and counts. There were soldiers, employees, and graduates of the highest ranks. And so many diplomats were not in any of the families in Styria. Sigmund von Herberstein was especially honored in the diplomatic field, he also owns the most popular description of Russia, its culture and history of the late 16th century, under the name Moskovita, which has been filling the shelves of bookstores in Europe for a decade.
Passing through the halls of the castle, we saw saddles that are not one hundred years old, hunting trophies, old sledges, carved furniture. We went through a blue living room with a collection of photographs of representatives of the noble family, a pink living room, a children's room with a mass of toys, unusual in our opinion, and a room for classes. We looked at the kitchen and kitchen utensils, visited the servant’s room, in the castle’s dining room, in the Knight’s Hall, where armor and ancient weapons are exhibited. There is also a hall where you can see a collection of porcelain.
Finishing the tour, we ended up in a gift shop, from where it was simply impossible to leave without a purchase. And in conclusion, we were treated to wine from the countess's cellars. Sitting with a glass in my hand, I (and maybe not me alone) imagined how, on special occasions, knights fight in tournaments in the courtyard of the castle, sellers in medieval costumes sell all sorts of things, and cooks fry meat on skewers, and the holiday ends merry feast. Yes, and a wedding banquet in the courtyard of this castle, it is so romantic and beautiful!
But it was time to depart with gratitude to Countess von Herberstein for the opportunity to visit her house and make a detailed photo report about her stay in the castle. This is truly unforgettable!