Wasserleonburg Castle

The castle's origins date back to 1253, when a predecessor building, located east of the current complex, was first documented as a Bamberg fief under the name “Löwenburg.” A severe earthquake in 1348 damaged the castle and triggered a rockslide on the Dobratsch, which dammed the Gail River into a lake – an event that likely contributed to the name “Wasserleonburg.” In the second half of the 14th and early 15th centuries, a new building was erected, with the oldest surviving part being the keep in the east wing. In 1522, the Villach merchant Wilhelm Neumann acquired the lordship. After his mother's death, Anna von Liechtenstein inherited the property in 1572 and managed it for five decades.