The Bubenberg rises with an altitude of about 340 m above the right bank of the Mur river. On the hill to the west of it is the village of Bubenberg to which the site on the Hoarachkogel owes its name in Austria. On maps, this area is also often referred to as Herrschaftswald.
The area of the fortified hilltop settlement and the associated cemetery are divided in two by the border established in the State Treaty of St. Germain in 1919. The north-south oriented ridge extends over a total length of about 1.5 km and rises slightly in several steps in the southern direction. On its northern side it is bordered by a steep break-off edge towards the course of the river. The location of the settlement plateau directly above the Mur river valley offers excellent views to the north, east and west. Coming from the south, the area is easily accessible via the forest road that still runs along the crest of the hill. Access is also possible through the Bubenberggraben ditch in the northwest of the ridge, although not without difficulty. The entire ridge between the Bubenberggraben and the village of Ceršak in Slovenia to the east is now densely forested.
The upper plateau in the northern part of the Hoarachkogel is divided into two spurs by a landslide cleft, the western terrace being somewhat higher than the eastern one. Consequently, the settlement plateau forms an approximately horseshoe-shaped, relatively flat area, which extends from east to west over a total width of about 400 m and from north to south over a length of about 350 m. The settlement plateau is called “Hoarachkogel.” This part of the fortification is called the “Kernwerk” (core work).
Around this center of the prehistoric settlement many different terrain changes are evident. The plateau is protected by a strongly developed rampart system, especially towards the east and south, which adapts to the natural terrain conditions. An embankment at the edge of the plateau and an artificial steepening on the outside result in an impressive height of up to 15 m when viewed from the outside, although the actual difference in level from the crest of the rampart to the level of the settlement plateau is only about 5 m at the highest point. In the southwestern and western areas, the rampart is much flatter, until it is finally hardly recognizable. However, a clear terrain edge as a boundary of the settlement area can always be made out. In this area, numerous other structures are recognizable which can be traced back to various anthropogenic changes of the terrain surface (e.g. terraces).
Following the “Kernwerk” to the south there is another, less massive rampart, which encloses the outer bailey. This area is much smaller than the upper plateau, but nevertheless forms an almost flat surface that is conspicuously highlighted in the landscape.
On the ridge towards the south a path leads, which in large parts follows the course of the present border between Styria and Slovenia. In several places, this path appears as a hollow way deeply dug into the terrain, which indicates a use of the route in the past. In two sections, lateral ditches cause the path to narrow considerably.
To the left and to the right of this route, in several groups, both on the Styrian and on the Slovenian side, a total of about 30 burial mounds visible above ground can be found. In addition to these, other terrain changes are evident along the ridge of the hill, showing that anthropogenic interventions of various kinds have taken place. The southern end of this burial site is formed by a single prominent tumulus erected in an elevated position.