Wildenstein Castle

The complex may have been built as early as the 12th century. It was the only castle in the inner Salzkammergut. Wildenstein was princely property and was administered by caretakers. In 1263, Dietrich von Dobra is mentioned as a caretaker, which is also the first documented mention of the castle.

From the 15th century onwards, the dominion was frequently pledged. Among the pledge holders were nobles such as Wolfgang von Wallsee (1456) and the Prüschenk family (1498), but also the citizens of Gmunden (1478). In 1593, a devastating fire broke out in the castle, destroying mainly the wooden interiors. After the subsequent reconstruction, Wildenstein appeared as a two-story building, surrounded by a wall and topped by a tower.

In 1647, the dominion passed to Johann Ignaz von Spindler. His son Johann Paul was allowed to call himself Baron zu Wildenstein from 1658. In 1715, the castle burned down again. After that, it was no longer rebuilt and was left to decay. It served the surrounding population as a welcome quarry. The caretaker Johann Lidl moved the administration to Reiterndorf in 1717. After his death, the caretaker's office moved to Bad Ischl and finally to Goisern in 1773. Only from 1960 onwards did efforts begin to secure the modest remains of the walls, which have since been cared for by the Ischler Heimatverein. The owners of the ruin are the Austrian Federal Forests.