Continuing from the previous episode where me and my host Markus left that foggy mountain hut behind we now drive North West on the 77 as he wants to show me the oldest castle around. I have no idea what this is about but who cares given a ride on roads like this:
It could have been a brighter late afternoon:
But after all the mad weather I've suffered so far I'd be the last to complain. Austrian countryside doesn't allow much space for disapointment:
Especially with its cute villages like Weißkirchen:
We rush to our destination as the day gets darker,
when from the road I get my first views of that castle at the edge of this peak:
It already looks promising but we try to find a way to get as closer to it by car in order to save time from hiking as the day is not that young anymore:
That's the best we can do, time to start walking:
The closer we get the more intriguing it looks to me:
We're walking into this jungle:
Which gives only a few chances to see the "outside world" but totally worth it when it does:
I gotta make it all the way up there:
Finally this corridor leads to the ruins of this castle:
If it's not "all German" to you have a look at this sign:
The first castle here was built around a millennium ago and later was expanded so these walls definitely have stories to tell:
That view though...
Thanks to this metal construction you can walk around the rock to make it to the rest of the ruins and the core of the fortress:
This is the end of metal and the beginning of the stone (age?):
The local emblems welcome the visitors at the gate:
German speakers only:
The overview remains stunning:
There's still some climbing left:
Time to enter this historic place:
 |  |
That doesn't mean climbing is over though:
It means that the view is only getting (even) better:
And that's not even the top yet:
 |  |
How much awesomeness can fit in a human eye? I question myself each time I look out and down from here:
And it gets even higher!
Did you miss that view?
It feels like an infinite elevating:
And as you can see that's not even the highest part yet:
Once a jail? Now a store room:
 |  |
Who knows how old is this millstone:
Older than these benches for sure which seem more like a touristic recent addition:
Who lost counting of stairs?
Tiresome as they might be they pay back view wise:
 |  |
At least as long as you don't suffer from acrophobia:
I said it feels like an infinite elevating didn't I?
Look how high that wall is:
Which means...yep...that's right:
But it also means...yep, that too:
Now can you guess what's coming next? Who said "more stairs"?
 |  |  |
View inside the walls:
And view outside the walls:
Believe it or not, it even gets a little higher - no joking!
 |  |  |
That's all German to me:
OK, now I promise there's no more stairs to climb. Not sure you believe me though after all this. Here's the view inside the walls at the top part of this castle:
And now brace for the outside view:
 |  |
I will spare you the way down cause I am afraid you're already exhausted from all this. Imagine that this was only part of a super long day that so far took me 6 posts to cover! And it's not precisely over yet so...see you on the next one!