Stadtbefestigung Friesach, Medieval defense system in Friesach, Austria.
Stadtbefestigung Friesach is a medieval defense system in this Austrian town featuring a main wall reaching eleven meters high, a lower outer wall, and a fifteen-meter-wide moat. The structure also includes three surviving defensive towers from the 14th century that visitors can see today.
The original ring wall was built around 1200 but proved insufficient for defense, resulting in three conquests of Friesach between 1275 and 1292. The fortifications were then reinforced with additional walls and towers to better protect the city.
The preservation society, Stadtgrabenverein, established in 1985, organizes events and fundraising activities to maintain these medieval structures for future generations.
The fortification path is accessible and allows visitors to examine the three surviving towers up close. Comfortable shoes are recommended, and care should be taken when exploring the walls and structures.
The medieval moat system is still filled with groundwater from natural sources and remains one of the most complete defensive water structures in Central Europe. This functioning water defense provided a significant barrier against medieval attackers.
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