"An unspected "Spanish" city in the Alps" Spittal an der Drau by spanishguy

During one of my business trips across the South of Austria I bumped into Spittal an der Drau. I asked for a city map in my hotel and I was really surprised when I read that a Spanish name is very important in the history of this city: Gabriel de Salamanca, or Gabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburg in its German form. What a surprise! We have Spanish heritage in the North of the Alps!

Gabriel von Salamanca was a Spanish nobleman who was general treasurer and archchancellor of Archduke of Austria (and future Holy Roman Emperor) Ferdinand I (born in Spain as well) from 1521 to 1526. He was made lord of Ehrenburg in Tyrol as well as of Freyenstein and Karlsbach in Lower Austria. On March 10, 1524 he also received the County of Ortenburg in Carinthia. Here, in Spittal an der Drau, he had a famous residence built by Italian architects, now known as Castle Porcia.

Coat of arms - Escudo

The first document mentioning a settlement dates from 1191, when a hospital (Spittl) and a church were built next to the Drava river (Drau), so it’s easy to guess why the city is called Spittal an der Drau. It has a bit more than 16.000 inhabitants and its worth to walk around on it to visit its two beautiful churches, its park and palace and some nice houses.

Location - Situación

But what it is even nicer are its surroundings. I came driving from Innsbruck, in Tirol, by a scenic highway across the Alps, with wonderful mountains, nature, rivers and water falls.

• Pros:Nice city surrounded by wonderful landscapes
• Cons:Not too many restaurants for have dinner
• In a nutshell:Spanish heritage in the Alps