Schloss Fernstein, Medieval castle ruins in Nassereith, Austria

Schloss Fernstein is a castle ruin in Nassereith situated on a rocky spur overlooking the Fernpass Road. The remains display a rectangular residential tower and various building traces perched on a steep mountain at around 1,200 meters elevation.

First documented in 1288 under Rudeger von Verrenstein, the fortress served as a toll station in the years following 1308. Its position at this mountain pass made it strategically important for controlling trade routes.

The Via Claudia Augusta cycle route runs directly through the castle gate, past the Klausengebäude where the 1543 rock-cut road still passes at ground-floor level. The chapel at the Niederhaus was completed in 1478. The site has belonged to the Köhle innkeeping family since 1960, who run the Schlosshotel Fernsteinsee.

The ruin lies around 6 kilometers north of Nassereith along the road from Imst to Reutte and is visible from the main road. The site sits on a steep mountain, so a visit is best made on foot from the roadside.

In 1552 Elector Maurice of Saxony invaded Tirol and was held up at Fernstein for 36 hours, which supposedly let Emperor Charles V escape. Damage to windows, stoves and roofing is recorded in the toll collector Martin Thanhamer's accounts. The Via Claudia Augusta cycle path now runs straight through the castle.