Hochkraig Castle

Among the most interesting ruins of the castle ring protecting the old ducal city of St. Veit are the so-called Kraiger Castles. The ensemble consists of several parts: the main castle Niederkraig, Hochkraig, which is equipped with an outwork, and an aqueduct running between the two ruins.

Hochkraig (also Altkraig) is the older of the two castles and was built in the 12th century. In 1091, a Dietricus de Kriwig is mentioned for the first time in a document. He is considered the progenitor of the Lords of Kraig. In 1147, the valley around their seat was also first referred to as "Chriwich", from which the place name Kraig eventually developed.

The Kraiger castles were so defensible that they were never seriously attacked or conquered. Only in 1269 did they have to open their gates to the Bohemian King Przemysl Ottokar. When Konrad von Kraig died in 1564, his sister Barbara inherited part of the property. Barbara was married to Johann Graf von Hardegg. Her daughter Elisabeth had married Georg Graf von Nogaroll in her second marriage. He paid off the two remaining heirs around 1566, so that after his wife's death he became the sole owner of the dominion.

Archduke Karl, as the sovereign feudal lord, sold his rights in 1570 to Georg Khevenhüller von Aichelberg. He sold the dominion to Baron Ludwig Grotta von Grottenegg. His descendants no longer lived in Kraig, so the two seats were left to decay. In 1682, Josef Wilhelm Graf von Kronegg acquired the Kraiger dominion. In 1686, it came into the possession of Franz Andreas von Mayerhoffen, with whose family it remained until 1806. Then Josef Bogner, Knight of Steinberg, bought it. Since 1822, the surrounding forests with the two ruins have belonged to the Counts Goess.