Hieburg Castle

The Hieburg is the ruin of a castle in the Rosental district of the market town of Neukirchen am Großvenediger in Oberpinzgau, in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Surrounded by the adjacent forest, it lies just before the ascent of the Gerlos Pass and is a popular excursion destination.

Originally called Mairhofen, the castle was built in its basic form towards the end of the 13th century and first mentioned in a document in 1290 through its owner Walter von Neukirchen. They may have been vassals of the Counts of Frontenhausen or the Counts of Falkenstein zu Kaprun. By 1297, its second known owner, Friedrich von Velben, had it expanded into a strong fortress with wooden timbering, two tower chambers, and a high curtain wall.

In 1544, lightning struck the complex, destroying part of the castle, which was later restored. After further fires and two changes of ownership, Christoph von Küenberg declared it abandoned in 1620, and after the castle again fell victim to a severe fire in 1661, it was left to complete decay.

In 1944, the southwest wall collapsed into the valley due to the air pressure of a World War II bomb. The east wall collapsed in 1958.

Since March 2009, entering the castle ruin has been forbidden due to the risk of collapse.

Remains of the palas, a possible castle chapel, the curtain wall, and the keep with its eleven by eleven meter footprint, as well as traces of the former moat, are still preserved.