Castle on hill

Castles & fortresses in the Wachau region

Majestic witnesses of the past

Numerous fortresses, castles and buildings of great historical value will await the visitor in the Wachau region. Many castles such as Dürnstein or the Aggstein ruin lie right at the Danube and can also be combined with a ship tour. Look forward to great sightseeing experiences during your explorations of the Wachau!

Dürnstein ruin

Dürnstein castle, the main castle of the Kuenrings, once sat enthroned on a rock high above the river Danube. Richard Lionheart’s arrest in the year 1192 and his imprisonment in Dürnstein castle went down in history. Since the 17th century the building has been abandoned to decay and today, Dürnstein ruin is a popular excursion destination and sight in the Wachau.

Dürnstein castle was erectd by Albero III von Kuenring in the middle of the 12th century and was the main seat of the Kuenrings for a long time. It became famous for the imprisonment of the English king Richard Lionheart. He was arrested on his journey back from 3 crusades in Austria and imprisoned in Dürnstein castle (Dec 1192 – March 1193) until he was extradited to the German emperor Heinrich IV.

For almost 500 years, Dürnstein castle lay unimpregnable on a rock above the Danube and defied all attackers. Even the great siege in 1458 by Friedrich III could not touch its inhabitants. But the attack by the Swedes in 1645 could not be defied by Dürnstein castle. In the course of this it was destroyed down to its foundations. Today, Dürnstein ruin is a popular sight in the Wachau.

If you walk up the path to Dürnstein ruin, the view of the Danube valley surrounded by vineyards changes with every step. Lined by massive rock walls and graceful flowers and shrubs, the path leads up to the remains of the historic fortification, which was abandoned to decay as early as 1645.

Also worth seeing: Dürnstein castle, Dürnstein monastery and the romantic old town with the beautiful town gate.

Aggstein castle ruin

On the right shore of the Danube in the Wachau, enthroned on a rock nose, lies the well preserved castle ruin of Aggstein. Explore the picturesque ruin and enjoy a dreamlike view of the Danube from the top.

Aggstein castle was once built by the Kuenrings around 1100 to proctect the merchants who travelled through the Danube valley. Manegold of Aggstein was the namesake for the castle high above the Danube.

In the following 300 years it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. From 1429 to 1436 it was expanded by Jörg Scheck vom Wald. Scheck vom Wald soon fell prey to marauding knighthood and loved to plunder cargo ships traveling down the Danube. Because of his cruelties, he was finally called only "Schreckenwald".

Most of what we can still see of the fortress today dates from this period, e.g. the “little rose garden”. There is a legend about this 4m wide and 10m long rocky outcrop. In the course of his reign of terror, the unscrupulous Scheck von Wald is said to have abandoned his prisoners there and let them starve or jump into the depths.

When the decay of the fortress could not be prevented any longer, stones and beams were used to build the Langegg monastery. Remnants of the three-story women's tower and the palace are still preserved from the former stronghold. But even the remains of the once imposing castle complex with its stone walls rising high into the sky still impress visitors today. The two towers of the castle can be climbed on wooden stairs.

Since the recently completed renovation of Aggstein ruin, visitors can discover several new attractions: Viewing platforms, information and experience stations, a round theme path in the ruin (which allows a comprehensive insight into medieval life and trade), the newly designed entrance area, a knights’ hall as well as better orientation and guidance systems.

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