Friesach — The Knight's Templar Secret

Your quest begins in Hauptplatz, the vibrant heart of Friesach since the 13th century. Around you rise buildings with Baroque facades remodeled in the 17th century, testifying to the city's evolution. It was here that Duke Bernhard von Spanheim granted commercial privileges in 1253, establishing the weekly markets that still animate the square. In the center, the Marienbrunnen, a 5-meter-high Virgin Mary fountain erected in 1792, is adorned with sandstone statues. Imagine the public gatherings, including the 14th-century executions documented in local chronicles, that took place in this iconic Carinthian location.

Continue to Stadtpfarrkirche St. Bartholomäus, a parish church built between 1240 and 1260 under the patronage of the Spanheims. Its late Romanesque style, enriched with Gothic extensions, is an open book on Friesach's medieval architecture. The 72-meter-high bell tower, completed around 1300, dominates the landscape, visible for several kilometers. Inside, a Baroque altarpiece from 1670 by local artist Johann Zoller depicts Saint Bartholomew. Excavations in 1985 revealed 13th-century tombs, confirming its status as a burial site for local lords and highlighting Carinthia's rich heritage.

Your path then leads to Fürstenhof, the former princely residence of the Counts of Friesach, transformed into a Renaissance palace in the 16th century. This 1,200 m² building, with its paved inner courtyard and Gothic arcades dating from 1250, served as a temporary residence for Duke John II of Carinthia between 1348 and 1354, where he signed charters in 1350. Restored in 1972, it now houses the municipal museum, preserving valuable medieval artifacts and offering insight into Friesach's history. It is a key site for understanding the influence of the region's powerful figures on the Mittelalterstadt Kärnten.

A short walk away, the Dominikanerkloster Friesach, founded in 1220 by the Counts of Friesach, is one of Austria's oldest monasteries. Its convent church, completed in 1238 in an early Gothic style and 50 meters long, was a site of intense preaching against heresies in the 13th century. The Dominicans resided here until secularization in 1787. The remains of a medieval scriptorium, discovered in 1990, reveal fragments of illuminated manuscripts, highlighting the intellectual and spiritual importance of this place for Carinthia's heritage and Friesach's history.

Finally, the Diebsturm, or 'Thieves' Tower,' built in 1253 and 18 meters high, marks a crucial stage in your exploration of Friesach's medieval ramparts. This fortified gate, adorned with the coats of arms of the Counts of Friesach engraved in 1260, was used as a prison until 1780. Integrated into the 3.2 km rampart circuit, it connects you to Burg Petersberg, a fortified castle from around 1150 with its 800-meter wall, offering a panoramic view of the city. This route takes you through the history of Friesach, from its public executions to its defenses against the Hungarian invasions of 1240, a true dive into the Mittelalterstadt Kärnten.