Greillenstein Castle

Greillenstein's origins date back to 1313, when a fortified complex owned by the Greill family was mentioned. In 1371, the castle came into the possession of the Lords of Dachbeckh, who held it until 1499 before it passed to the Lords of Volkra. A turning point occurred in 1534 when Baron Johann Lorenz von Kuefstein acquired the dominion. His son, Hans Georg III. von Kuefstein, had the old castle demolished between 1570 and 1590 and replaced it with the current Renaissance castle, which was completed in 1604. It served the Protestant Kuefsteins as an administrative seat and a summer residence. During the Thirty Years' War, Greillenstein was briefly occupied in 1620 by Catholic troops under Elector Maximilian of Bavaria but remained undamaged. In 1623, Hans Jacob von Kuefstein converted to Catholicism to secure the family property.