Dürnstein Castle

Coming from the north, the access to the castle is preceded by a round tower with a pointed bulge, the lower part of which consists of rubble masonry reminiscent of ashlar masonry, which probably dates from the 13th century; thus, the tower is likely one of the oldest surviving parts of the castle. The wall of the ascent path to the south forms a zwinger to the west, whose layered rubble masonry is largely attributed to the 14th century, but there are also sections of ashlar masonry or opus spicatum, which are dated to the 12th-13th century. Following the path further south, after a bend in the path to the west, one reaches a reconstructed castle gate, which borders the east wing, standing in a north-south direction, to the north. While the layered rubble masonry of the east wing refers to the construction period, the upper floor appears almost recent. Through the reconstructed castle gate, one enters a gate hall preserved in its original state with a cross-vaulted ceiling. Directly on the steep slope dropping vertically to the southwest is the west wing, which dates from the time of the tower; a series of closely spaced, 1.7 m high embrasures are located on the somewhat younger west wall. The spacious castle courtyard between the east and west wings is bordered to the north by a curtain wall with elongated embrasures, which runs along the edge of the break-off. A later added connecting wing between the east and west wings closes the castle courtyard to the south.