- Type
- Castle
- Built
- c. 1255 · 13th century
- Site origins
- 1051 per Wikidata – an earlier stronghold or first mention
- Coordinates
- 48.1561°, 12.8289°
History
The ridge above the Salzach was already fortified in the early Middle Ages, and in the 11th and 12th centuries it was the seat of the counts of Burghausen. When their line died out in 1164, the castle passed to the dukes of Bavaria, and after the partition of Bavaria in 1255 Duke Henry XIII made it the second residence of the dukes of Lower Bavaria and began a major expansion. It reached its greatest extent in 1480–1503 under Duke George the Rich, who, fearing a Turkish invasion, added further courtyards and massive fortifications. The castle housed the duchesses and the ducal treasury. In the 18th century it lost its military role, but it has survived almost intact.
What to see
The castle stretches along a narrow ridge between the Salzach and Lake Wöhrsee, and a walk through six successive courtyards, with their gates, towers and moats, leads to the main castle. This houses the castle museum and a branch of the Bavarian State Painting Collections with late-Gothic pictures. The buildings around the courtyards hold the town museum, a photography museum and artists' studios.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q258217
Popularity: articles about this site in 19 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).