Saldenburg Castle

The castle was constructed in the 14th century by Knight Heinrich Tuschl von Söldenau, who was known as “Ritter Allein” (Knight Alone) due to personal circumstances. In 1388, Schweiker III. Tuschl sold the property to the Bavarian dukes, who in turn sold it to Ulrich den Ecker in 1389. After the death of his father-in-law Peter von Egg, Count Heinrich von Ortenburg inherited the castle in 1446. Through Elisabeth von Törring, Heinrich's widow, Saldenburg came into the possession of Hans Gewolf von Degenberg in 1468, whose family owned it until 1587. Subsequently, the castle passed to the Counts of Preysing-Moos. Under their patronage, a Baroque transformation was carried out in 1682 by Enrico Zuccalli, giving the complex the character of a palace. In 1742, Saldenburg was set on fire by Pandurs. The last Preysing owner, Count Kaspar II., bequeathed the estate in 1826 to his godfather, Kaspar Freiherr von Berchem. In 1848, the Bavarian State acquired the castle, and since 1928, it has operated as a youth hostel under the German Youth Hostel Association, Bavaria regional branch.