Pürnstein Castle

Pürnstein, Austria

Pürnstein castle, towering high above the valley, was built in the late 10th century. It was first time documented in 1170. In the 13th century, the castle became into the possession of the Prince-Bishopric of Passau. The current appearance dates mainly from the mid-15h century. The castle chapel was consecrated in 1449. Part of the ruins of the original fortifications are also preserved to this day.

A fire on September 7, 1866 destroyed the entire interior with all wooden parts and the roof of the inner castle, only the chapel was spared. The cause arson is specified. However, parts of the buildings added later, most of the 17th and 18th centuries are habitable today. The current owner and the Association for the Preservation of the castle Pürnstein take care of preservation and renovation of the castle.

The castle is located on a north- west and steep terrain. The spacious facility has five semi-circular towers. The main door leads into the outer bailey. The main castle can be reached by the upper castle gate. The main castle is a large, hexagonal residential castle. The courtyard measures 17 x 13.5 meters.

In the central Palas are the knights' hall, living room, kitchen, chapel and the castle courtyard. The palace is surrounded by a defensive wall with five towers. The thickness of the walls is up to six meters.

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Founded: 10th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Austria

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3.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Natalia Eizenberger (9 months ago)
Unfortunately, it is not stated on the Internet that the ruins are closed. You can't visit them. We drove all the way there for free.
Богдан (3 years ago)
Unfortunately I didn't have time to take a closer look at the castle. In 5 minutes I only saw that the main entrance was blocked by a fence and everything was overgrown.
Helmuth Mayrhofer (5 years ago)
This impressive castle complex sits high above the Mühl near Neufelden in the Mühlkreis on a rocky terrain Pürnstein was first mentioned in documents in 1010. Around 1455, a large part of the old castle was demolished and a completely new fortress was built. In 1866, large parts of the complex were destroyed by fire; all wooden parts and even the roof structure of the inner castle complex were completely destroyed. Unfortunately, interested visitors are denied access to the upper castle – “Neue Burg”. A number of ruinous walls and building remains from the “lower” older castle still exist today.
Lucas Fuchs (5 years ago)
From the outside, it appears to be an unkempt, privately owned castle. I haven't been able to find out more yet. Oh yes, the owner is around 80 and lives in Munich. ?‍♂
Timur Bulekbayev (6 years ago)
Closed for restoration, some ages ago...
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