View to the West
The legend of “Damische Kathel“
(The legend of “crazy Katharina“)
The two prominent hills, southwest of Riegersburg castle, are also of volcanic origin. A Roman road once ran behind them as a connecting route to the Raabtal valley. The hill on the left, the Gmundenkogel, is also popularly known as the ‘Damische Kathel’. This colloquial name could be translated as “crazy Katharina.”
According to a legend, a robber baron’s castle once stood on the left hill. One night, a terrible thunderstorm caused the castle and all its inhabitants to sink into a crevice in the rock. However, Kathel, the kind-hearted daughter of the cruel castle lord, was warned in time by her dogs and managed to escape to safety at the last moment. However, she suffered so much from the horror of this tragedy that she lost her mind and became daft – hence the name Damische Kathel.
It is said that even today, Kathel can be heard singing her sad songs while standing on the edge of the cliff. One needs to listen carefully on clear, full moon nights.
