Top 19 Castles around Karlstein an der Thaya

Karlstein was first mentioned in 1112 as "Chadelstain." As a fiefdom, Karlstein belonged to the respective territorial princes, who granted this rule to knightly families, although no continuous dynasty established itself here. Since the castle was never owned by a single family for an extended period, it was continually rebuilt and expanded. Practically nothing remains of the original castle. In the following centuries, the border region was repeatedly raided by enemy armies (Ottokar, Hussites, Matthias Corvinus). After the suppression of the Peasants' Revolt in 1597, the leader, Andreas Schrembser, was presumably imprisoned in Karlstein Castle. In 1645, the Swedes besieged Karlstein Castle in vain. In 1663, it served as a refuge during the Turkish threat. In 1914, an internment camp was established in the castle, despite it being uninhabitable. The Montenegrin General Staff was also imprisoned there. After the war, the Hungarian communist leader Béla Kun was interned here. Later, the castle was used as a youth hostel, and in the 1960s, it also served as a guesthouse. The castle is now privately owned and no longer open to the public.

A lovingly maintained castle ruin in the middle of the Waldviertel Kamp landscape

Opening Hours 2025: April 26 - September 28 Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays Hourly guided tours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., no registration required (last tour at 5 p.m.) Group tours and weekdays by appointment with Mr. Karl Michael Liemberger at +43677/623 412 26

Museum of the Kollmitz RuinsThe two former castle rooms in the outer bailey to the right of the entrance have been adapted as a museum and snack bar. Exhibits on the history of the castle and various finds are on display here. A documentation on the life and work of the topographer Georg Matthäus Vischer (1628 - 1696) can also be viewed.VisitYou can get the key for the towers and for the museum visit at the snack bar of the Kollmitz Ruins: open daily from May to October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in good weather, July & August until 6 p.m.Admission: adults € 2.00, children € 1.00.Free admission for NÖ-CARD holders! For group registrations please call +43 664 4615881 (Mrs. Martina Rieder).

Beautiful old ruin to visit, in summer also a snack station on site

Raabs Castle on the Thaya is one of the earliest stone castles built in what is now Austria. In the 16th and 18th centuries, the medieval castle was finally transformed into a palace by the Puchheimers and is now privately owned by Richard Pils. Website Raabs Castle: https://www.bibliothekderprovinz.at/schloss-raabs/ guides from the arcaded courtyard over the bridge to the hunger tower, past the keep, into the courtyards, to the castle fountain, via the baroque staircase to the exhibition rooms, through the large and small knight's hall to the balcony with a view of the town of Raabs. May 26 – September 25, 2022 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays on the hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m outside of guided tour times for groups by prior arrangement If you are coming from further away, it is advisable to contact us in advance, otherwise you may find yourself standing in front of closed gates (note is on the gate)! Raabs Castle can only be visited inside as part of a guided tour. Direct contact tours: Karl Michael Liemberger Phone ++43 (0) 677 623 412 26

Primmersdorf Castle is located in the eponymous Gutsweiler Primmersdorf in the municipality of Raabs an der Thaya in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in the northern Waldviertel region of Lower Austria. The castle with its outbuildings is under monument protection (list entry). The castle, built in the middle of the 17th century as a successor to a medieval castle from the 13th century, was owned by the Herzogenburg Abbey from 1696 to 1851 and was used as a dairy. The plans of the three-storey baroque building with volute gables on the long sides are attributed to Jakob Prandtauer. The last aristocratic owner, Baron von Freyenfels, handed over the dilapidated castle to the state of Lower Austria. Today privately owned and restored, it has been expanded with apartments and an art studio. The Schüttkasten Primmersdorf association has been using the Schüttkasten for exhibitions and events since 1993. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Primmersdorf

On the edge of the castle complex, Jakob Prandtauer erected the three-storey granary with a curved baroque gable structure in 1706 on behalf of the Canons of Herzogenburg. The former granary still has the original baroque wooden construction. The beautifully renovated, listed granary of the former Primmersdorf Castle has been available to everyone for cultural events, seminars, private and public celebrations since it opened at the end of May 2005, in the spirit of the artists around Henri Rousseau. The "Schuettkasten" has established itself as a place for cultural encounters thanks to its spacious, versatile rooms. Formerly a place where the agricultural harvest was kept, today it is a place where spiritual food is kept and distributed. http://vesnadesign.net/txt/sk/schuettkasten.html