Burg Pürnstein, Medieval castle in Neufelden, Austria

Burg Pürnstein is a stone castle perched on high ground overlooking the valley below. The structure displays typical medieval features with thick walls, towers, and rooms arranged closely together for defense and living space.

A bishop's castle of Passau is mentioned at this site in 1010; the first documented owner was Alram de birchenstaine in 1170. From 1455 the Starhembergs built the present Upper or New Castle, largely replacing the older fortification, and the castle chapel was consecrated on 20 July 1449. A fire on 7 September 1866 destroyed the interior and roof of the inner castle, sparing only the chapel.

The name Pürnstein derives from the Starhemberg family, who acquired the castle by 1455 and rebuilt it as the Upper or New Castle. The castle chapel was consecrated on 20 July 1449. Epitaphs of former owners such as Marga Reichner and Gustav Adolf Müller are mounted on the outer wall of the St. Anna church in Steinbruch.

You can reach the castle by following marked trails that start from Neufelden and lead upward. Wear sturdy shoes because the path becomes steeper as you approach the hilltop location.

The castle stands at 537 metres above sea level above the Große Mühl. In the outer wall of the Filialkirche hl. Anna in Steinbruch, a district of Neufelden, are the epitaphs of several castle owners, including Marga Reichner and Gustav Adolf Müller.