Austria: Adventures in Graz Part Two- A Castle Climb

My last day in Graz called for a hike up to the ruins of Gösting Castle on the edge of the city.  We had to take the bus to the end of the line and then hike up a small mountain to reach the ruins. Brian carried a backpack full of breakfast for a castle picnic which included an assortment of fruit and Irma's fresh-baked muffins! 

Some of the pathway up the mountain was paved so it was a pretty accessible hike, even for people with shorter legs. 

We made sure to stop and sniff the spring flowers that were popping up to say hello. 

Just so everyone is clear, you sniff flowers with your nose.  It's that bump in the middle of your face.  Felix is showing you so you can enjoy the flowers properly.  

We took a few little rest breaks on the way up.  It's kind of a long walk for little-legged people so a well-placed bench is much appreciated.  Henry and I are yelling "AMANDAAAAAA!" in this picture since Irma substituted the typical, "Say cheese" with, "Say Amanda!" 

Felix did an incredible job on this hike and walked the entire mountain himself.  No one carried him even for one second.  It was his first time!

That is the Gösting Castle in the distance. 

The earliest records of the castle are from the year 1042.  It was expanded into a fortress in the 15th century to provide protection from the Turks and Hungarians.  It was part of a signalling fire system that warned the people of Graz when any danger was approaching. 

Unfortunately, in 1723 lightning struck a gunpowder magazine in the castle and a large part of it was burned down.  Now the ruins are owned by a family of bakers and it is maintained by the Castle Foundation.  

It is free and open to the public and there is even a little tavern at the top.  

We had a lovely breakfast with an incredible view of the surrounding country and even taller, snowcapped mountains in the distance. 

For some reason, I had a really terrible stomach ache the entire time we were hiking.  I thought it would go away if I rested a bit and ate something at the top, but Irma's tasty muffins didn't seem to help.  I nearly got sick and my body felt completely strange and shaky. 

It wasn't until we got back home that I realised I had been experiencing altitude sickness!  Graz is situated in a valley, but it is still at 1,100 feet above sea level.  I guess the combination of increased elevation and the mildly strenuous hiking put me over the top.  Clearly, I've spent too much time living near the ocean.  What a weakling!

Still, there was no way a little altitude sickness was going to keep me from enjoying this beautiful day with my friends.  I think Irma used the phrase "high yield hike" to described the Gösting Castle climb, because (unless you a sea-level-dwelling-wimp like me) it isn't too difficult a hike with a really great reward at the top. 

Theodore showed me a secret loop in the ruins and I used my stopwatch to see how fast he could race through the loop.  He's pretty fast!  Henry took a few turns racing the clock too.  We also played a couple rounds of hide-and-seek, because well, how many times in your life are you going to be able to say "I played hide-and-seek in some ancient castle ruins"?

The walk back down included a beautiful view of Graz nestled in the valley with its hollowed-out hill sticking up in the middle like a small island.  

This truly is a beautiful place!  I am so glad I had a chance to visit Irma, Brian, Theo, Henry and Felix, even if it was just for a few days.  It was totally worth the trip and I hope I'll get to do it again some day!  Thanks for such a special visit gang!  I love you!