Ruins of the castle Durnstein (Burgruine Duernstein) description and photos - Austria: Lower Austria (Topic)

Ruins of the castle Durnstein (Burgruine Duernstein) description and photos - Austria: Lower Austria. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Burgruine Duernstein.

Photo and description

The ruins of the Durnstein castle are located in the Wachau valley, above the village of Durnstein in Lower Austria. The castle was built in the middle of the 12th century by a native of Kenringern. Azzo von Hobatsburg, the founder of the Kenringer family, acquired a land plot from the Tegernsee monastery, where Azzo's descendant, Hadmar I, built a powerful castle. The town of Durnstein and the castle are connected by a defensive wall, which is an extension of the city wall. Above the chapel, there was once a castle courtyard with a huge basement set right in the rock.

Durnstein Castle is famous for being imprisoned by the English king Richard the Lionheart. The king, returning from the crusade in December 1192, was captured by order of King Leopold V Babenberg and placed in the castle of Durnstein, owned by Hadmar II von Kenringer. Here, King Richard spent more than a year until a huge ransom was collected - 150 thousand marks of silver. These funds were used by Leopold V to found the city of Wiener Neustadt.

In 1306, written sources found the first mention of a castle chapel consecrated in honor of St. John the Theologian. In 1588 the castle was rebuilt by Strain from Schwarzenau. In 1645, at the final stage of the Thirty Years' War, the Swedes, led by Lennart Torstensson, captured the Durnstein fortress. As a result of the attack, the castle gates were destroyed. In 1662, the castle was uninhabited, and after 17 years it was no longer subject to reconstruction.

At the end of the 19th century, interest in the romantic ruins of Durnstein increased so much that Prince Camillo Starhemberg at his own expense built a convenient road to them. Durnstein Castle has become a major tourist attraction in the Wachau Valley. Today, over 1.7 million tourists visit it annually.

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Topic: Ruins of the castle Durnstein (Burgruine Duernstein) description and photos - Austria: Lower Austria.