Kollmitz Castle Ruins

Raabs an der Thaya, Austria

Kollmitz Castle is a ruined castle east of Raabs an der Thaya in Lower Austria. The castle was first mentioned in the 13th century and the construction of its main tower was completed in 1319.

In the 14th century the castle was used as a district court with ownership changing often. In 1411 the Freiherr von Hofkirchen came into possession of the castle, whose family would control the castle for the next two centuries. The Hofkirchen family lost possession of the castle in 1611 when Wolfgang von Hofkirchen died in exile in Prague during the Habsburg’s Counter Reformation, which saw him as a ringleader of Protestant nobility.

Following the end of Hofkirchen control, the castle changed hands several times and may even have been abandoned. In 1708 the Castle was acquired by Franz Anton von Quarient und Raal under whom the castle fell into disrepair as it no longer could serve any practical purpose.

References:

Comments

Your name


Address

Kollmitzgraben 28, Raabs an der Thaya, Austria
See all sites in Raabs an der Thaya

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Austria

More Information

www.kollmitz.at
en.wikipedia.org
www.castles.nl

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Raabs Castle (4,3 km)


Heidenreichstein Castle (30,5 km)
Historic Centre of Telc (40,7 km)
Telc Castle (40,9 km)
Altenburg Abbey (20,3 km)
Zwettl Abbey (33,2 km)
Rosenburg Castle (22,8 km)
Göttweig Abbey (50,9 km)
Dürnstein Castle Ruins (47,1 km)
Geras Abbey (10,6 km)

User Reviews

Manfred Tschannerl (7 months ago)
Starting from Raabs / Thaya, walked the Ritterweg, length approx. 12 km. In the course of this hike you will pass the Kollmitz ruins. Also well worth seeing as a ruin with great views of the Thayatal. In front of the ruins of Kollmitz you pass the Bohemian Wall.
Marjo Aaralex (8 months ago)
From the free parking directly to the ruin. If you want to go up to the towers from where you have a really nice view, you should pay attention to the opening times and for a low entry price you can get the keys that open them. There is a lot to see here. The facility is well maintained and full of information. You can spend a good 2 hours here. We can recommend this excursion destination.
Pam Pannagl (2 years ago)
Awesome big place to explore and beautiful views. Don't forget to ask for the tower keys at the pub before climbing up there, the doors are locked, but the signs are only at the locked doors I think, didn't see them anywhere else.
CalantheCintra (2 years ago)
Absolutely stunning Ruine. You can get up to the both towers to enjoy breathtaking view. Dog friendly, you can get some delicious refreshments for a good price.
Stepan Hradecky (2 years ago)
Beautiful preserved ruins just few kilometres from another castle Raabs. The ruin is located on a beautiful rocky promontory on the Dyje (Thaya) River overlooking the town Kollmitzdorfl. It is possible to climb both towers.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

History of Guernsey & Jersey
Photo from Flickr, copyright nikonaft

Historic Site of the week

Cesis Castle

German crusaders known as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword began construction of the Cēsis castle (Wenden) near the hill fort in 1209. When the castle was enlarged and fortified, it served as the residence for the Order's Master from 1237 till 1561, with periodic interruptions. Its ruins are some of the most majestic castle ruins in the Baltic states. Once the most important castle of the Livonian Order, it was the official residence for the masters of the order.

In 1577, during the Livonian War, the garrison destroyed the castle to prevent it from falling into the control of Ivan the Terrible, who was decisively defeated in the Battle of Wenden (1578).

In 1598 it was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Wenden Voivodship was created here. In 1620 Wenden was conquered by Sweden. It was rebuilt afterwards, but was destroyed again in 1703 during the Great Northern War by the Russian army and left in a ruined state. Already from the end of the 16th century, the premises of the Order's castle were adjusted to the requirements of the Cēsis Castle estate. When in 1777 the Cēsis Castle estate was obtained by Count Carl Sievers, he had his new residence house built on the site of the eastern block of the castle, joining its end wall with the fortification tower.

Since 1949, the Cēsis History Museum has been located in this New Castle of the Cēsis Castle estate. The front yard of the New Castle is enclosed by a granary and a stable-coach house, which now houses the Exhibition Hall of the Museum. Beside the granary there is the oldest brewery in Latvia, Cēsu alus darītava, which was built in 1878 during the later Count Sievers' time, but its origins date back to the period of the Livonian Order. Further on, the Cēsis Castle park is situated, which was laid out in 1812. The park has the romantic characteristic of that time, with its winding footpaths, exotic plants, and the waters of the pond reflecting the castle's ruins. Nowadays also one of the towers is open for tourists.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.