Castles of "Austria" DÜRNSTEIN CASTLE vs FALKENSTEIN CASTLE (LOWER AUSTRIA)

Dürnstein Castle (German: Burgruine Dürnstein) is the ruin of a medieval rock castle in Austria. It is located in Dürnstein, in the Lower Austrian Wachau region on the Danube river, at 312 metres (1,024 ft) above sea level. The castle was erected in the early 12th century at the behest of Hadmar I of Kuenring (d. 1138), a ministerialis in the service of Margrave Leopold III of Austria, on the estates his ancestor Azzo of Gobatsburg had acquired from Tegernsee Abbey in the late 11th century. Hadmar, who also founded nearby Zwettl Abbey, had the fortress constructed in a strategic location overlooking the river Danube. It is connected to Dürnstein through a defensive wall extending from the city walls. The castle is known for being one of the places where King Richard I of England, returning from the Third Crusade, was imprisoned after being captured near Vienna by Duke Leopold V of Austria, from December 1192 until his extradition to Emperor Henry VI in March 1193. In 1428 and 1432, Hussite forces plundered the city and castle of Dürnstein. In 1645, near the end of the Thirty Years' War, a Swedish contingent under Lennart Torstensson conquered Dürnstein. Upon their withdrawal, the troops destroyed parts of the gate system. As of 1662, the castle was no longer inhabited permanently, but was still listed as a possible shelter in the Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664). In 1663, Conrad Balthasar of Starhemberg purchased the castle, which is still owned by his heirs to this date. From 1679 on, however, the castle was no longer habitable and was abandoned. Today, the fortress is part of the "Wachau Cultural Landscape" UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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The ruins of Falkenstein Castle (German: Burg Falkenstein) is in the Weinviertel region of Lower Austria, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of Vienna near the border to Czech Republic. The castle was used as a "Reichsfeste", for the protection of the HRE Reich with an overview over nearly all of Moravia. It was founded around 1050 by Emperor Henry III. 1106 Leopold III, Margrave of Austria purchased the castle, from then on it was owned by the rulers of Austria. 1572 Maximilian II sold Falkenstein to the Baron (later Count) of Trautson. In 1645, in the last period of the Thirty Years' War Falkenstein was conquered by Swedish forces, but not destroyed. Its decay began at the end of the 17th century, when the castle was dismantled by the owners themselves in order to re-use the material. During the summer season, the inner ward is turned into an impressive site for medieval feasts and theatre plays.

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