Dürnstein (Old) Castle

The construction of Dürnstein Castle took place around the mid-12th century by the Kuenringer family. Hadmar I, a grandson of the Kuenringer patriarch Azzo von Gobatsburg, who had acquired the surrounding land from Tegernsee Abbey, was the builder. A distinctive feature is the castle's connection to the town of Dürnstein via a continuous defensive wall. The site gained notoriety when King Richard the Lionheart of England was held captive here between December 1192 and March 1193, at the instigation of Duke Leopold V under Hadmar II, before being handed over to Emperor Henry VI. A castle chapel, dedicated to John the Evangelist, was first mentioned in 1306. In 1588, Streun von Schwarzenau had the castle converted into a fortress.