Description of the attraction
Lengberg Castle is a Tyrolean fortress built in 1190 on a small hill in the northern part of the Drava Valley. In those days, Lengberg Castle belonged to the Counts von Lechgemunde. Representatives of this Swabian dynasty lived permanently on their estate on the banks of the Danube. The castle was a two-storey palace surrounded by a wall 2, 2 meters thick. Since 1212, the archbishops of Salzburg have owned the castle. Here the court was located, the workers of which were subordinate to the church authorities. Over the next 150 years, the castle was replaced by several managers from noble families.
The first significant reconstruction of the Gothic fortress took place at the end of the 15th century. The castle was expanded by adding two additional wings to the main building. The chapel of St. Sebastian and St. Nicholas was built in the western wing. The defensive wall was enlarged and surrounded by a deep ditch.
In the 17th and 18th centuries Lengberg Castle was a rather gloomy sight. Some managers could not stand life in this harsh fortress and left their place of work. Churchmen owned Lengberg Castle until 1821. Then a hospital for patients with cholera was set up here. In 1920, the Dutch banker Paul May acquired this fortress and invested a lot in its renovation. He was friends with the royal family, so Queen Wilhelmina spent some time at Lengberg Castle. In 1956, the banker's family sold the fortress to the Tyrolean authorities, who decided to open a center for young people here. The building that we see now appeared here after the reconstruction of the 70s, when the castle had to be restored after a strong earthquake.
