Gifu Castle
Gifu Castle, A Hilltop Castle On Mount Kinka Above Gifu, Once Held By The Warlord Oda Nobunaga, Rebuilt In Concrete In 1956, With A Ropeway And A View Over The Nobi Plain. A Short Climb And A Small Museum. · Gifu, Gifu
Gifu Castle stands on top of Mount Kinka, a steep forested hill of roughly 330 m - confirm - that rises straight out of the city of Gifu. The Saito clan held it, and in 1567 Oda Nobunaga took it and renamed the town Gifu - confirm the date. The keep you see today is a concrete rebuild from 1956 with a small museum of armour and local history inside, so the building is not the draw. The view is. From the top floor you look over the Nagara River and the wide Nobi plain toward Nagoya on a clear day. A ropeway runs up from Gifu-Koen Park in a few minutes, or you can hike the steep forest trails in roughly 30 to 60 minutes - confirm. A small squirrel village sits near the top station. It suits history readers, families and anyone spending a day in Gifu city. Allow two to three hours with the museum and the walk down. It is worth the detour for the view and the Nobunaga story, less so if you want an original castle.
Kinkazan, Gifu, reached by ropeway from Gifu-Koen Park or on foot from Gifu Station by bus and trail, Gifu, Gifu, Japan
The keep and museum commonly open from about 9:30 to 17:30 in the warmer months and close a little earlier in winter, with last entry a short time before closing - confirm. The ropeway runs on a similar day pattern and may stop for maintenance or high wind; confirm its timetable and any closing days. From Gifu Station take a local bus to the Gifu-Koen Park stop, about 15 minutes, then walk to the ropeway. IC cards work on the bus in most cases, but bring cash for the ticket windows and small shops. Nothing needs booking. Weekends in cherry blossom and autumn colour weeks bring queues for the ropeway, so go early.