Mühlbacher Klause Castle, Rio di Pusteria, Italy

Mühlbacher Klause (Chiusa di Rio Pusteria) castle was built by Sigmund, Duke of Tyrol, between 1458 and the 1480's. It replaced an older fort, built in the 13th century and which was situated about 600 meters west of the present location.

Both fortifications were built here to control the passage through the Pusteria valley which was the border between the counties of Gorizia and Tyrol.

In the 18th century an administration wing, once annexed to the residential building, was destroyed by a flood. Around 1871 the northeastern tower was partly destroyed.

The most recent wartime involvement of the castle dates from the so-called French War at the beginning of the 19th century, when Napoleon's troops were faced by the Tyrolese militia.

References:

castles.nl

User Reviews

Tomasz Włodarczyk (6 months ago)
I suppose you can't go inside and visit. Just from outside. There is no toilet around. Big parking space close to main road.

Jay French (13 months ago)
This has to be one of my favourite south Tirol castle fortifications!! I can only recommend a visit...it doesn't take too much imagination to visualise how this castle once controlled the main road through Pustertal valley for hundreds of years. (There has been a controll check point here since Roman times...the site of the earlier buildings is just a few hundred meters to the West) I particularly enjoyed the way the fortress is built into the landscape - the steep nountsin side coming down to the river in the valley floor...very cleverly done...this would have made trying to "go around" this fort practically impossible for traders and military alike.... Don't forget to visit "Franzensfeste" (the massive South Tirolean fortress controlling the road up to the Brenner pass)...it's just a short car drive away from here!! They say mussolini's Gold reserve may still be hidden somewhere here!!?....

Vitalij Tchernych (2 years ago)
Cool!

egga (3 years ago)
Top

Jon Taylor (4 years ago)
A great stop off point with an amazing castle to look round and recharge your batteries...

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Since 1930, the castle has housed the collections of the Ariège départemental museum. Sections on prehistory, Gallo-Roman and mediaeval archaeology tell the history of Ariège from ancient times. Currently, the museum is rearranging exhibits to concentrate on the history of the castle site so as to recreate the life of Foix at the time of the Counts.

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