Dürnstein (Old) Castle

Burgruine Dürnstein is a ruin of a castle in Lower Austria, Austria.

The Kuenring family had bought the area surrounding the castle from the Tegernsee Abbey in the late 11th century. Hadmar I of Kuenring, who had also founded Zwettl Abbey, had the present castle constructed in the middle of the 12th century in a strategic location overlooking the river Danube. The castle is connected to the city of Dürnstein through a defensive wall extending from the city walls.

The castle is known for being one of the places where Richard I of England was imprisoned after being captured near Vienna by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, in 1192.

In 1428 and 1432, Hussites plundered city and castle of Dürnstein.

Near the end of the Thirty Years' War, Swedish troops under Lennart Torstensson conquered Dürnstein in 1645. Upon their departure, they destroyed parts of the structure. As of 1622, 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.