Description of the attraction
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Finstergrün Castle is located on the territory of the federal state of Salzburg, but quite far from its center - the city of Salzburg itself. The distance to it is almost 100 kilometers. A little closer is the center of another land - Carinthia - the city of Klagenfurt, standing 60 kilometers south of the castle. You can get to the castle either by car or by train, but the train station is a fifteen-minute walk away.
Finstergrün Castle rises on a sheer cliff. It is interesting that it consists of two parts, different in age - a younger castle, almost completely restored at the beginning of the 20th century, is located a little lower - at a level of 970 meters above sea level, and a hundred meters higher are the remains of an ancient medieval castle, representing are ennobled ruins. It is worth noting that the reconstructed building now serves as a summer camp for Christian youth or just a hostel, which is very common in Austria and Germany.
It is believed that the castle was built in 1138, although the first written mention of it dates back to 1300. Initially, it was owned by the Habsburgs, but later it passed into the possession of the powerful archbishops of Salzburg. After the secularization of church lands at the beginning of the 19th century, the already abandoned castle fell into disrepair, and in 1841 almost all the old buildings were destroyed in a forest fire.
In 1899, it was decided not to restore the ruins of the castle, but to rebuild it, while retaining the appearance typical of a medieval fortress. Already in 1908, the work was completed, however, due to two world wars, it was not possible to finish the interior decoration of the new castle. Immediately after World War II - in 1946 - the building was taken over by a scout organization, which converted the castle into a hostel with sports fields and tennis courts. In this form, Finstergrun Castle still functions today.
The castle can accommodate up to 150 people and is equipped with both electricity and excellent sewage. For the inhabitants of the castle, excursions to the towers and military fortifications are organized, and in the evenings, young people like to climb the ruins of a medieval fortress and arrange gatherings around the fire.
