Description of the attraction
Baldramsdorf is a small village in the Spittal region of Carinthia. Its main attractions are the ruins of Ortenburg Castle, located on a 740-meter cliff, and the new castle of the same name, which currently houses the Carinthian Crafts Museum.
The town of Baldramsdorf was first mentioned in written documents in 1166, while Ortenburg Castle, now in ruins, has been known since 1093. It was the owner of this castle that since the end of the 12th century belonged to Baldramsdorf, as well as other settlements in the area. In 1690, Ortenburg Castle, which at that time already belonged to the princes of Portia, was destroyed by an earthquake and a hurricane and was no longer rebuilt.
The so-called Lower Ortenburg Castle was built in the 18th century by the architect Hans Schueb. Prince Alphonse von Portia handed this building over to the monastery. A few decades later, it was discovered that the building had become so dilapidated that it needed urgent restoration, which was carried out in 1767-1773. It was then that the building took on the appearance of an imposing castle. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the Lower Ortenburg Castle belonged to the monks, and then it was bought by Gustav Ritter von Greller. His son rebuilt the palace and decorated its roof with battlements. The von Geller heirs sold the castle in Baldramsdorf to the Phoenix insurance company. Since 1938, Ortenburg Castle has been administered by the municipality of Baldramsdorf, which has rented its premises for a long time. Since 1977, an exhibition of Carinthian handicrafts has been opened here. Here are the tools and products of blacksmiths, embroiderers, weavers, saddlers, watchmakers and many other representatives of working professions.
In the village of Baldramsdorf, you can also see the late Gothic parish church of St. Martin, first mentioned at the beginning of the 12th century.
