Mattsee Castle

Archaeological discoveries from the 1950s confirm that the castle hill, once a rocky island, was inhabited as early as the Neolithic period. Around 1100, an initial castle was built on behalf of the Bishops of Passau, with its Reckturm completed in 1294. Following an attack by Salzburg troops in 1319, triggered by the dispute over the throne between Ludwig IV and the Habsburgs, a moat was constructed in 1325, transforming the complex into an island. In 1398, the castle came into the possession of the Archbishopric of Salzburg and served as a summer residence for the Salzburg archbishops until the 17th century. Prince-Archbishops such as Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Markus Sittikus von Hohems, and Paris Lodron used it for hunting and recreation.