Location: Upper Austria Map
Constructed: 12th century
Clam Castle is a large medieval stronghold in Upper Austria region of Austria. Clam Castle was constructed in the middle of the 12th century. It overlooks a strategic valley of Danube River that flows below. Clam Castle or Burg Clam is one of the few citadels in the region that remained virtually unchanged since its construction.
Burg Clam (Clam Castle), located in the municipality of Klam in Upper
Austria’s Mühlviertel region, is one of Austria’s oldest continuously
inhabited medieval fortresses. Perched on a granite hill at 337 meters
(1,106 ft) above sea level, it overlooks the Danube Valley and the
Klamschlucht gorge. The castle has been the family seat of the Counts of
Clam (now Clam-Martinic) since the mid-15th century and remains a
private residence open to the public for guided tours.
Early
Origins and Medieval Foundations (12th–14th Centuries)
The earliest
reliable written records of Burg Clam date to 1149, when it was a
massive fortress built by Otto von Machland (of the noble Perg-Machland
family) and his brother Walchun. Some sources note a possible earlier
reference around 1142 or even a disputed 1125 document (likely a later
forgery). At that time, during the clearing of forests in the
Machlandviertel area, the castle served as a strategic military
stronghold and feudal residence for controlling the Danube Valley.
Originally, it consisted of a five-story palas (residential tower) with
a distinctive stepped gable and a round bergfried (defensive tower),
both exceeding 40 meters in height. These towers remain prominent today.
The site’s exposed position on the granite massif made it visually
dominant and defensively strong.
In the following centuries,
ownership changed frequently amid medieval power struggles, political
intrigues, and shifts in feudal control. It passed through various
families, including the Holzer (1234–1324) and Hauser (from 1250, who
rebuilt much of the structure in the 14th century, erasing most visible
traces of the original 12th-century fortifications). Later holders
included the Zinzendorf, Wolfstein, Seusenecker, Prüschenk, and finally
the Counts of Hardegg.
During this era, the castle was associated
with “robber barons” who terrorized locals and were even excommunicated
by the Church. It withstood threats like the Hussite invasion of 1422
(which devastated the town below) and a Hungarian siege in 1487. A
related early fortress in the area (possibly linked to the
Schwedenschanze Achatzberg) is also mentioned in some records. One
notable early loss occurred when Ulrich of Clam-Velburg died during the
Damietta Crusade in 1217, returning the castle temporarily to sovereign
control.
Acquisition by the Clam Family and the Perger Era
(15th–16th Centuries)
Stability arrived in 1454 (or by some accounts
1524) when Christoph Perger acquired the castle and fortress from the
Counts of Hardegg. The Perger family, traceable to 13th-century western
Austria, dropped their original name and adopted “von Clam” (or “of
Clam”) upon taking possession. Christoph Perger became known as
Christoph of Clam, marking the beginning of continuous Clam family
ownership that has now lasted over 570 years.
The family maintained
the castle as a defensive stronghold while gradually adapting it for
residence. It played a role in regional conflicts but was never captured
by enemies, despite multiple sieges.
The Thirty Years’ War and
Major Renovations (17th Century)
The Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648)
tested the castle severely. The Clam family fielded its own private army
for defense. The village of Klam was burned several times, but the
castle held firm. By war’s end, however, it was in poor condition.
Johann Gottfried Perger zu Clam (1598–1673), later ennobled as Baron von
der Leyen, became the key restorer (honored as restaurator familiae).
Starting around 1640, he oversaw extensive renovations that transformed
the functional fortress into a more comfortable noble residence while
preserving its medieval core. He added residential wings, strengthened
defenses, and enhanced livability with Gothic, Renaissance, and emerging
Baroque elements.
Beyond the castle, Johann Gottfried contributed to
the community: he confirmed market rights, founded a hospital, built a
town church (1659), restored the Hofkirchen church (1641), installed
water pipes, and promoted medicinal herb cultivation. He and his wife,
Countess Sibylle von Kagenek (who bore 12 children), significantly
expanded the family’s estates, including acquiring Außenstein Castle in
1665. Emperor Ferdinand III elevated him to baron in 1640 and he
converted to Catholicism in 1655.
Elevation to Counts and Union
with the Martinic Line (18th–19th Centuries)
In 1759, Empress Maria
Theresa granted the family the hereditary title of Austrian counts. The
lineage later split into branches (Clam-Clam, Clam-Gallas, and
Clam-Martinic). In 1791, Count Carl Josef von Clam married Maria Anna,
the last surviving Countess of Martinic—a powerful old Bohemian noble
family. Their union merged the names, estates, and coats of arms,
creating the Clam-Martinic line.
In the 18th century, administrative
wings, coach houses, and stables were added, forming the outer courtyard
seen today. The castle evolved into an elegant family home while
retaining its defensive character.
Notable later members include:
General-Major Count Heinrich Clam-Martinic, who served as Prime Minister
of Austria-Hungary under Emperor Karl and was a close friend of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand.
Other figures active in politics, military, and
administration.
20th Century to Present: Survival and Continuity
Burg Clam survived both World Wars unharmed, a rarity among Austrian
castles. A nuclear shelter added to a cellar during the Cold War is one
of the few 20th-century modifications. The family has actively preserved
the site through restorations of roofs, walls, frescoes, and
furnishings, often using original techniques in collaboration with
Austrian heritage authorities.
Today, Count Carl Philip Clam-Martinic
(the 16th generation) and his wife Countess Stephanie, with their three
children, live year-round in a wing of the castle. He took over estate
management in 2003 after working in Hong Kong. The estate includes
farmhouses, a riding school, a hydropower plant (originally commissioned
in the 1920s and upgraded in the 1960s), farmland, and forests.
The
castle functions as a living cultural site: it hosts guided tours
(highlighting the three-story Renaissance arcaded courtyard, antique
collections, paintings, porcelain, and armory), concerts, events, and
even overnight stays. It has welcomed performers like Elton John, the
Scorpions, and Sting in its open-air venue.
The castle complex is a castle inhabited by the owners all year
round. Clam Castle was fundamentally rebuilt by the Hauser family in the
14th century, so that today nothing remains of the original
fortifications from the 12th century. The oldest part of Clam Castle
that is still visible today is the higher round tower built in the 13th
century.
Through an outer bailey with a large, irregular
courtyard formed by administration buildings, garages and the Palas, a
wrought-iron gate leads to the castle courtyard, which is bordered by a
stone balustrade and surrounded by arcades. The rock on which the castle
was built reaches up to the first floor. From the courtyard, sgraffiti
can be seen on the wall of the palace. The ensemble is completed by a
keep with a conical roof, located a little to the side of the castle.
The castle has been in the same family for around half a millennium
and has never been destroyed. This is the reason why many furnishings
and a large number of historical gems have been preserved.
In the
castle there is a St. Chapel consecrated to the cross and another chapel
from the 14th century rediscovered in 1934 on the fourth floor of the
palace.
Accessible sights of the castle include the three-story arcaded courtyard, the armory with armor used to defend the castle, the Gothic castle chapel built in 1422, the castle pharmacy with a medicine chest from 1603, and the living quarters of the Counts of Clam, including the breakfast room with a porcelain collection and several sumptuously furnished guest rooms, the master's kitchen, a music room and a large set banquet table in the landscape room.
Next to
the actual castle complex there is a castle brewery and a Meierhof. The
riding hall and riding arena of the castle are operated by the Burg Clam
riding club. Since 1990, the clam concerts with internationally renowned
musicians have taken place in the brewery garden and on the
Meierhofwiese.
In 1923, Heinrich Clam-Martinic had an electricity
plant built in the Klam Gorge. The residents of the communities of Klam,
Saxen, Baumgartenberg and Mitterkirchen im Machland were supplied with
electricity. Georg Clam-Martinic had another power station built in
1963, for which the hammer mill was demolished and the Bergmayr mill and
sawmill ceased operations.