Weidenburg Castle

The castle ruin Weidenburg is located in the southeast of the municipality of Kötschach-Mauthen, south of Würmlach.

The castle was probably built around 1200 as a ministerial seat on a rock spur steeply sloping to the south and east. The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1225 as "castro Weideberg" together with a Johannes de Waidberch. Later it came into the possession of the Counts of Görz. Through the Peace of Pusarnitz, the castle came into the possession of Emperor Frederick III in 1460. He granted the castle as a fief to the Hornberger brothers in 1461, later to Hans von Graben. In 1545, the castle came as a fief to Sigmund Khevenhüller von Aichelberg, and in 1571 Georg Khevenhüller bought the castle. In the 17th century, the castle was owned by the Fromiller family. Since the 18th century, the castle fell into disrepair. In 1931, restoration work began, but it burned down again in 1933. After the Second World War, the ruin came into the possession of the Austrian Federal Forests.