Kollmitz Castle

East of Raabs an der Thaya, on a steeply sloping rock spur, lies the Kollmitz Castle Ruin, one of the largest and once most significant castle complexes in Lower Austria. Embraced by a wide loop of the Thaya River, it shows its massive walls and the remains of a medieval fortress.

The first documented mention of Kollmitz Castle dates back to the 13th century. In the 14th century, it served as the seat of a regional court. Ownership of the castle changed hands several times until it became the ancestral seat of the Barons of Hofkirchen in 1411. The last Hofkirchen from Kollmitz was forced into exile in Prague in 1611 due to his Protestant faith. The castle was closely linked to Drösiedl Castle for about 300 years, with Drösiedl being converted into a Renaissance castle from 1570 onwards. After the Hofkirchen family's expulsion, the owners changed again. From 1616, Kollmitz belonged to the Schütter family, then the Schubhardts, from 1693 to Pernegg Abbey, and finally, from 1708, to Franz Anton von Quarient und Raal, who, however, allowed the castle to fall into disrepair. A dendrochronological examination dates the completion of the keep of the current castle to 1319. There was a predecessor castle named Hauenstein on the opposite side of the valley, which was abandoned after the new Kollmitz Castle was built.