Discover the hidden corners and secrets of Kaprun Castle. Behind each digit hides an exciting story. To make this visible, simply click on the respective pin.
Discover the hidden corners and secrets of Kaprun Castle. Behind each digit hides an exciting story. To make this visible, simply click on the respective pin.
The large entrance area from the keep into the palas, dominated by the castle rock. In the era of the Velber knights, this was the stables with horses, cows, sheep, pigs and chickens. After Salzburg’s archbishops had taken over the castle, the entrance hall was built here. The horses’ stables were relocated outside the castle.
During the castle renovation the first ever toilet facilities were installed, and the entrance area was redesigned.
A now indispensable freight elevator was installed in 1993.
Steep stairs lead from the bat cellar via the tower parlour up into the castle room. You can see how the Romanesque walling was built around the castle rock. There are still many bats living in the castle, mainly in the open tower areas and the northern parapet walks.
The castle lord’s room was the only well-preserved room in the former ruin, as a hunter lived here until 1920. It was used by members of the castle association during the course of the renovation, hence the large, round table with wooden chairs.
The castle tavern with roofed terrace and the castle room with a small exhibition are on this floor.
Below it was the former location of the kitchen and personnel rooms. The heated great hall used to be an important hub for the castle’s inhabitants.
Three coats of arms of the medieval houses of the castle adorn the great hall. In the middle is the coat of arms of the Falkensteiners (Bavarian house), on the left that of the Velbers (originally knights from Kitzbühel and former mercenaries) and on the right the coat of arms of the Pinzgau house of the Walchers.
After the Falkensteiners, the Bavarians’ mandate to levy toll along the trade passages went to the Velbers. Salt and many other goods travelled south this way. The tolls for the route across the Grossglockner, which had been an important route since the time of the Romans, was an important source of money. The Romanesque fortress and toll castle was strategically located outside Kaprun Valley at the Salzach river.
Part of today’s gallery hall was built over the lower storage rooms after the takeover by Salzburg’s archbishops.
At that time, the rooms with many small bowers were intended for up to 100 elite soldiers, monitoring both the local population and the Tauern passes. Instead of knights, there was now a bailiff administrating the Pinzgau region alongside numerous officials.
The castle association had to rebuild the gallery hall as the north walls had collapsed.
The 10th century north tower is the oldest part of the castle. The original wooden beams of the cellar ceiling remain intact to this day.
The mythical castle rock on which the tower was established extends into the cellar room giving it a certain kind of magic.
The Tatzlwurm cellar used to be the storage room of the residential tower, accessible from the outside and, being located below ground, guaranteeing cool temperatures. The wine spirit, who must be paid homage to, stands in a small window of the cellar.
A mythical creature from the Pinzgau, the Tatzlwurm, half dragon and half lizard, dominantly hangs above the table.
The ground floor of the north tower is now, in a well-preserved vault, home to the small workshop of Kaprun Castle. Steep stone stairs lead down to the Tatzlwurm cellar.
Built as a residential and administrative tower by the Falkensteiners, the Velbers took over the north tower as a residential tower.
The herringbone pattern in the style of 10th century natural stone masonry is well-preserved on the lower parts of the refectory’s outer wall. The north tower’s walls’ are up to 3.5 metres thick.
The first floor of the residential tower is accessible via exterior wooden stairs. The castle museum is located here, displaying exhibits found in the castle, in a well-preserved room equipped with an oriel window.
Only very few finds were preserved after the many lootings and the decay into ruin. The stony Romanesque ball mill, dated to the 10th century, is a curiosity. It was used to grind grain. Parts of the magnificent, tiled stove and two historic pistols belonging to the archbishop’s soldiers were found during excavations.
Chapters of the knighthood still take place today in the refectory, the great of hall of the Falkensteiner knights.
The coats of arms of the Falkensteiner knights hangs on the walls, and swords, halberds and other knightly weapons are stored there.
It used to be the living room of the knights stationed here, confirmed by the four oriel windows that can only be found in manorial rooms. At this time the window apertures were covered with furs, as were all other castle windows.
The east tower / Belfry had two storeys in the Middle Ages and served as a residential tower to the small knightly dynasty of the Walchers. A very well-preserved oriel window dominates the former Walcher living space.
Two dungeons were built on the ground floor, to lock up delinquent taxpayers and captives for minor offences. Up to six chained-up prisoners had to survive with only a small hole for light and air, living on water and bread in the worst hygienic conditions, often for weeks.
After Salzburg’s archbishops took over Kaprun Castle, they expanded the keep up to seven storeys.
The early storeys have since deteriorated and are only visible at the rock walls. Before, the keep served the archiepiscopal officials as a work and residential tower, but they were more than unhappy with it. Living quarters for Salzburg’s archbishop with lovely Gothic windows were installed on the top floor of the keep, but were never used.
The final magistrate (castellan) of Kaprun Castle, Caspar Vogl, lived in the keep until he was captured in Salzburg in 1603, and after torture, sentenced to death by the sword by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau in November of the same year.
The castle association installed larch wood stairs in 2021 to make the panoramic view at the highest point reachable. This was the first time the highest level of the castle had been accessible in over a century.
The unique view across the castle, the village of Kaprun and the basin of Zell is a special highlight of every castle visit.
The reconstructed southern parapet walk has been connected to the keep with the palas and the large great hall since 2008.
The original, old east gate of the castle is behind the stage. Excavations were carried out between the north tower and the east tower to find the presumed castle well. The well was not found, suggesting that water must have been sourced from the outside and that there had to have been cistern. What was found, however, was the old 11th century castle gate.
The east gate is visible on the inside of the castle wall. It enabled entry into the castle from the east as was generally common with fortresses at that time.
Today’s southern castle gate with pond and bridge was constructed much later, when the Velbers expected attacks on the castle. The unsecured east gate was filled in to prevent attackers from entering.
The large entrance area from the keep into the palas, dominated by the castle rock. In the era of the Velber knights, this was the stables with horses, cows, sheep, pigs and chickens. After Salzburg’s archbishops had taken over the castle, the entrance hall was built here. The horses’ stables were relocated outside the castle.
During the castle renovation the first ever toilet facilities were installed, and the entrance area was redesigned.
A now indispensable freight elevator was installed in 1993.
Steep stairs lead from the bat cellar via the tower parlour up into the castle room. You can see how the Romanesque walling was built around the castle rock. There are still many bats living in the castle, mainly in the open tower areas and the northern parapet walks.
The castle lord’s room was the only well-preserved room in the former ruin, as a hunter lived here until 1920. It was used by members of the castle association during the course of the renovation, hence the large, round table with wooden chairs.
The castle tavern with roofed terrace and the castle room with a small exhibition are on this floor.
Below it was the former location of the kitchen and personnel rooms. The heated great hall used to be an important hub for the castle’s inhabitants.
Three coats of arms of the medieval houses of the castle adorn the great hall. In the middle is the coat of arms of the Falkensteiners (Bavarian house), on the left that of the Velbers (originally knights from Kitzbühel and former mercenaries) and on the right the coat of arms of the Pinzgau house of the Walchers.
After the Falkensteiners, the Bavarians’ mandate to levy toll along the trade passages went to the Velbers. Salt and many other goods travelled south this way. The tolls for the route across the Grossglockner, which had been an important route since the time of the Romans, was an important source of money. The Romanesque fortress and toll castle was strategically located outside Kaprun Valley at the Salzach river.
Part of today’s gallery hall was built over the lower storage rooms after the takeover by Salzburg’s archbishops.
At that time, the rooms with many small bowers were intended for up to 100 elite soldiers, monitoring both the local population and the Tauern passes. Instead of knights, there was now a bailiff administrating the Pinzgau region alongside numerous officials.
The castle association had to rebuild the gallery hall as the north walls had collapsed.
The 10th century north tower is the oldest part of the castle. The original wooden beams of the cellar ceiling remain intact to this day.
The mythical castle rock on which the tower was established extends into the cellar room giving it a certain kind of magic.
The Tatzlwurm cellar used to be the storage room of the residential tower, accessible from the outside and, being located below ground, guaranteeing cool temperatures. The wine spirit, who must be paid homage to, stands in a small window of the cellar.
A mythical creature from the Pinzgau, the Tatzlwurm, half dragon and half lizard, dominantly hangs above the table.
The ground floor of the north tower is now, in a well-preserved vault, home to the small workshop of Kaprun Castle. Steep stone stairs lead down to the Tatzlwurm cellar.
Built as a residential and administrative tower by the Falkensteiners, the Velbers took over the north tower as a residential tower.
The herringbone pattern in the style of 10th century natural stone masonry is well-preserved on the lower parts of the refectory’s outer wall. The north tower’s walls’ are up to 3.5 metres thick.
The first floor of the residential tower is accessible via exterior wooden stairs. The castle museum is located here, displaying exhibits found in the castle, in a well-preserved room equipped with an oriel window.
Only very few finds were preserved after the many lootings and the decay into ruin. The stony Romanesque ball mill, dated to the 10th century, is a curiosity. It was used to grind grain. Parts of the magnificent, tiled stove and two historic pistols belonging to the archbishop’s soldiers were found during excavations.
Chapters of the knighthood still take place today in the refectory, the great of hall of the Falkensteiner knights.
The coats of arms of the Falkensteiner knights hangs on the walls, and swords, halberds and other knightly weapons are stored there.
It used to be the living room of the knights stationed here, confirmed by the four oriel windows that can only be found in manorial rooms. At this time the window apertures were covered with furs, as were all other castle windows.
The east tower / Belfry had two storeys in the Middle Ages and served as a residential tower to the small knightly dynasty of the Walchers. A very well-preserved oriel window dominates the former Walcher living space.
Two dungeons were built on the ground floor, to lock up delinquent taxpayers and captives for minor offences. Up to six chained-up prisoners had to survive with only a small hole for light and air, living on water and bread in the worst hygienic conditions, often for weeks.
After Salzburg’s archbishops took over Kaprun Castle, they expanded the keep up to seven storeys.
The early storeys have since deteriorated and are only visible at the rock walls. Before, the keep served the archiepiscopal officials as a work and residential tower, but they were more than unhappy with it. Living quarters for Salzburg’s archbishop with lovely Gothic windows were installed on the top floor of the keep, but were never used.
The final magistrate (castellan) of Kaprun Castle, Caspar Vogl, lived in the keep until he was captured in Salzburg in 1603, and after torture, sentenced to death by the sword by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau in November of the same year.
The castle association installed larch wood stairs in 2021 to make the panoramic view at the highest point reachable. This was the first time the highest level of the castle had been accessible in over a century.
The unique view across the castle, the village of Kaprun and the basin of Zell is a special highlight of every castle visit.
The reconstructed southern parapet walk has been connected to the keep with the palas and the large great hall since 2008.
The original, old east gate of the castle is behind the stage. Excavations were carried out between the north tower and the east tower to find the presumed castle well. The well was not found, suggesting that water must have been sourced from the outside and that there had to have been cistern. What was found, however, was the old 11th century castle gate.
The east gate is visible on the inside of the castle wall. It enabled entry into the castle from the east as was generally common with fortresses at that time.
Today’s southern castle gate with pond and bridge was constructed much later, when the Velbers expected attacks on the castle. The unsecured east gate was filled in to prevent attackers from entering.