Location: Lower Austria Map
Constructed: 12th century by Manegold III
The Aggstein castle ruins are the ruins of a spur castle on the right bank of the Danube in the Wachau, the origins of which date back to the 12th century. The castle ruins are about 300 meters above the right bank of the Danube on a rocky spur running in an east-west direction. It is about 150 meters long and has a rock structure at both ends. The ruin is located in the municipality of Schönbühel-Aggsbach in the Lower Austrian district of Melk.
The castle was probably built by Manegold III at the beginning of
the 12th century. built by Acchispach (Aggsbach). In 1181 it came
into the possession of the Kuenringer von Aggsbach-Gansbach. During
the uprising of the Kuenringer under Hadmar III. and his vassals
against Duke Frederick II, it was besieged and conquered in 1230/31.
In the disputes about the successor to Frederick II, during the
"rulerless period", the Kuenringers changed sides several times. So
it was that Leutold I von Kuenring-Dürnstein made a name for himself
in the uprising of the Austrian nobility against Duke Albrecht I.
The castle was then again besieged and conquered from 1295 to 1296.
As the last Kuenringer, Leutold II owned the castle from 1348 to
1355. After that, it increasingly fell into disrepair.
In
1429, Duke Albrecht V confiscated the castle from the Maissauer
ministerial family and entrusted it to his chamberlain (Georg) Jörg
Scheck von Wald. He obliged him to rebuild the ruined castle to
secure shipping on the Danube. In 1438 Scheck received the right to
toll from Wald for ships sailing up the river. In return, he had to
ensure the preservation of the stairways on which the ships were
pulled up the river. To do this, he built a toll house on the river
bank, which today serves as a forester's lodge. Over time he became
a robber baron by robbing the ships on the Danube. Hence his name
"Fright Forest", which is said to have been given to him by the
population because of his cruelty. In 1463 the castle was besieged
by another later robber baron, Georg von Stain. He defeated Scheck
von Wald and took over the castle as a pledge, since the duke is
said to have owed him money. In 1476 he was driven out by Ulrich
Freiherr von Graveneck (Grafenegg, Grafeneck), who ruled the castle
from 1476 to 1477 until he too was forced to give up the castle.
1477 Duke Friedrich III. the castle itself and occupied it with
tenants and caretakers in order to stop the plundering. In 1529 the
castle was burned down by a group of Ottomans during the first
Turkish siege of Vienna. It was rebuilt and equipped with loopholes
for artillery defense.
In 1606, Anna Freiin von Polheim und
Parz, the widow of the last tenant, acquired the castle. After her
death, the castle was severely neglected. In 1685, together with
Schönbühel Castle, it became the property of Count Konrad Balthasar
von Starhemberg. Ludwig Josef Gregor von Starhemberg sold the
property to Count Franz von Beroldingen in 1819. It remained in the
possession of the Beroldingers until 1930, when the Schönbühel
estate, together with the Aggstein ruins, was sold to Count Oswald
von Seilern-Aspang, whose descendants still own it.
Hadmar
III. von Kuenring is said to have considered the castle impregnable.
In fact, there is no evidence that the castle was ever stormed.
Presumably other measures, such as starvation, led to the conquest
of the castle.
Today, the Aggstein castle ruins are one of
the most visited sights in Lower Austria with around 55,000 visitors
a year.
Building history
Built at the beginning of the
12th century, the castle was successfully besieged and destroyed at
least twice during the time of the Kuenringers. Only a few
foundations on the so-called Bürgel, a rocky spur in the east, and
on the Stein, a rock structure on the west side of the castle, date
from this period. In 1429 it was said to have fallen into disrepair
and was rebuilt by Jörg Scheck von Wald. The castle was then rebuilt
and enlarged in the period from 1429 to 1436 by the local population
through forced labor. Most of the surviving parts, such as the
remains of the three-storey women's tower, the palace and the Gothic
castle chapel, date back to this reconstruction. The well-known
little rose garden was also set up at this time.
After being
set on fire by the Ottomans, the castle was rebuilt for artillery
defense and equipped with loopholes.
Under Anna Freiin von
Polheim und Parz, the castle was renovated after 1606 and the
central castle was furnished with Renaissance-style chancellery
buildings. After her death, the decay of the castle could no longer
be stopped. Stones and parts of the entablature were used to build
the nearby Servite monastery in Maria Langegg. The first security
measures to preserve the ruins were carried out under the
Beroldingen and completed under Oswald Graf von Seilern-Aspang. From
2003 to 2004, the castle ruins of Aggstein were renovated at
considerable expense by Schlossgut Schönbühel-Aggstein AG. Damaged
masonry was repaired, the sewage system, water pipes and building
services were introduced and installed, and the entrance area was
redesigned and the knight's hall was redesigned and roofed. The
state of Lower Austria also made a contribution of around EUR
50,000.
Aggstein Castle (Burgruine Aggstein) is a dramatic high-medieval spur
castle ruin in the Wachau Valley of Lower Austria, perched on a narrow
rocky outcrop approximately 300–320 meters above the right bank of the
Danube River. It exemplifies how medieval fortifications adapted to
extreme topography for both defense and control of river traffic. The
castle stretches about 150 meters in an elongated, narrow
northeast–southwest orientation, forming a “twin castle” (Zwillingsburg)
built directly onto two prominent rock pinnacles: the “Bürgl”
(northeast/eastern “little castle”) and the “Stein” (southwest/western
rock). Steep drops on three sides (northwest, southwest, southeast)
provided natural defenses, with the structure fully integrated into the
living rock—rock heads form the narrow ends, and features like a
7-meter-deep dungeon, square cistern, and prison ledge were hewn
directly from it.
Overall Layout and Defensive Architecture
The ruins are approached from the northeast via a modern ramp (the
original moat was filled in the 19th century). The complex unfolds in a
sequence of defensive zones: an outer bailey with a first courtyard, a
second courtyard reached through a wall gate, and a central castle
courtyard that once served as a farmyard and servants’ quarters.
Multiple gates punctuate the defenses:
The first gate sits in a
massive ~15-meter-high tower in front of the circular wall.
The
second (herringbone-pattern masonry) and third (“coat-of-arms gate,”
dated 1429) feature chamfered pointed arches in thick shield walls (one
up to 5 meters thick).
Ring walls and curtain walls (some
originally up to 5 meters thick) encircle the site, with a parapet walk
and battlement remnants. The southeast longitudinal ring wall integrates
key residential structures, including the knight’s hall and women’s
tower. Service buildings line the north side (semicircular projecting
kitchen with a semi-conical roof, smithy with barrel vault and preserved
forge, semi-circular well house with late-Gothic windows). A rock-hewn
cistern lies east of the central courtyard. The entire layout exploits
the terrain: forecourts are bounded south by the mighty Bürgl rock,
while the western Stein rises ~6 meters above the courtyard level and is
accessed by wooden stairs.
Construction Phases and Architectural
Styles
Aggstein evolved in distinct phases, blending early Romanesque
foundations with late-Gothic rebuilding and later adaptations:
Phase 1 (c. 1200, Kuenringer period): Only foundations survive on the
Bürgl and Stein. Herringbone (fish-bone) masonry in plinths and some
walls is characteristic; the overall footprint and key buildings (a ~50
m southern hall, fortified house on Bürgl, palas, chapel, and maidens’
tower on Stein) were already established.
Phase 2 (c. 1300):
Post-siege restorations reinforced the southern wall and hall on old
foundations, added an abort jutty near the later Rosengärtlein, and
inserted an extra gate yard.
Phase 3 (1429–1436, major rebuild by
Jörg Scheck von Wald): This is the source of most visible ruins. The
castle was enlarged using forced labor. Distinctive features include
whitish sandstone blocks in corners and openings, double relief arches,
chamfered pointed-arch portals, and herringbone masonry around arches.
The Frauenturm gained extra stories, the palas and chapel were
heightened, a pyramid-shaped stone chimney was added to the kitchen, and
the Rosengärtlein was created. Drawbridges and machicolations protected
entrances.
Phase 4 (post-1529 Ottoman destruction): Converted into an
artillery fort with embrasures (gun ports) in arched recesses along the
eastern front and northern façade; crenellated walls and new wall walks
were added.
Phase 5 (1606 onward, Renaissance under Anna von Polheim
und Parz): Front buildings and a Renaissance-style pulpit in the middle
castle were added; the great hall became an administration building with
new openings and winding stairs to the cellar.
Later
19th–21st-century restorations (including 2003–2004 works) stabilized
masonry, rebuilt the knights’ hall roof, added viewing bridges, and
created modern visitor facilities while preserving the historic fabric.
Key Buildings and Features
Palas (main residential/administrative
hall): Multi-storey structure (possibly two-room on Bürgl) with
chamfered pointed-arch entrances (herringbone surrounds), stone-jamb
windows, wooden floors, and a vaulted cellar. It served lordly living
quarters and later administrative functions.
Frauenturm (Women’s
Tower / Maidens’ Tower): A prominent three-storey (or more) tower
integrated into the southeast ring wall. Basement housed a wine press;
upper floors had residential rooms with a mix of rectangular and
pointed-arch windows plus a round-arch portal. Beam holes for lost
floors and ceilings are still visible. It likely served as a secure
refuge or noblewomen’s quarters.
Gothic Chapel: A two-bay structure
with a recessed apse, pointed arches, one round-arched window, gable
roof with bell rider, and eastern pediment. Built/heightened in the 15th
century; it remains a romantic venue for weddings and events.
Knight’s Hall: Integrated into the southeast ring wall; a large hall
(part of the ~50 m southern range) with late-medieval cellar vaults
beneath.
Rosengärtlein (“Little Rose Garden”): One of the most
infamous features—a narrow ~10 m long ledge projecting on a vertical
rock face outside the palas, created in the 15th century. Legendarily an
escape-proof prison where captives faced starvation or a fatal jump;
today it offers panoramic views but retains its grim historical aura.
Service and Defensive Elements: Semicircular kitchen with stone chimney;
smithy with barrel vault and forge; rock-hewn 7 m dungeon immediately
after the second gate; semi-circular well house; various slits,
stone-jamb windows, and later artillery embrasures.
Materials and
Building Techniques
Local quarried stone dominates, with 12th-century
foundations reused as substructures. Herringbone masonry, whitish
sandstone quoins and surrounds, flying arches (in the Frauenturm),
vaulting, and machicolations highlight the craftsmanship.
Post-15th-century modifications show the shift from pure medieval
defense to gunpowder-era fortification and Renaissance comfort.
Hadmar and the Iron Chain
Hadmar III. von Kuenring is said to
have hijacked ships sailing downstream using an iron chain stretched
across the Danube. When this became too much for Duke Friederich, he
wanted to storm the castle. But it withstood all attacks. So he used
a ruse. A merchant named Rüdiger from Vienna has been attacked by
Hadmar several times. This was sent to Regensburg. There he fitted
out a strong ship. Loaded with valuable cargo above and heavily
armed soldiers below, it sailed down the Danube. A ship with a rich
load was reported from Schönbühel on the Danube to Aggstein. The
ship has been stopped. The rich cargo lured Hadmar himself to the
ship. As he entered, he was overpowered by the soldiers. The ship
immediately cast off and took the prisoner to the Duke in Vienna.
The abandoned castle was taken soon after. The duke gave Hadmar his
life and freedom, but he was obliged to return all stolen goods and
to make good all damages. He is said to have died a few years later
on a pilgrimage to Passau in a small village on the upper Danube.
Jörg Scheck von Wald und das Rosengärtlein
The best-known
legend is that of the little rose garden. It was about Jörg Scheck
locking his prisoners out on the stone slab that protruded from the
castle like a balcony, so that they could only starve or jump to
their deaths. Those who were locked out always reminded Scheck of
roses, from which the name Rosengärtlein comes. However, prisoners
were able to save themselves twice by jumping into the surrounding
treetops. The second time, the bells from the valley started ringing
so loudly that Scheck went insane and was easily defeated by Georg
von Stain.
On November 30, 1973, the
Austrian Post Office issued a five-shilling definitive stamp of the
stamp series Landscapes from Austria with this motif.
The
ruin is a control point on the north-south long-distance hiking
trail.