Description of the attraction
Kaprun Castle is a medieval fortress built on a hill in the village of Kaprun in the federal state of Salzburg.
The first mention of the village of Kaprun, which at that time was a simple mountain village, is found in written sources in 931. In 1166, this village became part of the possessions of the Counts of Falkenstein. Probably at the same time the construction of the local castle began. For the first time they write about him in 1280. 7 years after this date, Kaprun Castle became the property of Archbishop Rudolf von Hohenek of Salzburg. In the first half of the 14th century, the masters from Velben became the owners of the fortress.
Since 1480, the castle was turned into a place where the archbishop held his court. Probably because of this, in 1526, during the peasant wars, the fortress was set on fire. They did not manage to put out the fire in time, so the castle burned down to the ground, but after about 60 years it was restored and then sold. He changed many owners. The last owners of the castle were the family of the Peruvian ambassador, Heinrich Guildemeister. Currently, the fortress belongs to the Kaprun Association of Entrepreneurs. It was restored in 1975 and opened to the public. Various cultural events are often held here. A tribune with 450 seats and a covered stage were installed in the courtyard of the castle.
Kaprun Castle was surrounded by a protective moat, which was later partially turned into a pond. The fortress has the shape of an irregular rectangle. Next to the castle there is a small church of St. James, which was built instead of the castle chapel, which was located on the third floor of the palace building. The church interior was significantly damaged during the Second World War.
