Burg Dürnstein, Medieval castle ruins in Neumarkt, Austria.

Burg Dürnstein is a medieval castle ruin located on a hilltop above Neumarkt in the Styria region. The remaining walls and foundations give you a sense of the fortress that once dominated this hillside position.

Dürnstein is first documented in 1144 as castrum Dierenstein, seat of the Dürnstein family, which died out in 1192. The castle then passed to the Wildoners, whose Dürnstein branch took its name from it. In 1299 it was acquired by the Styrian dukes and remained in their hands until 1608. It was abandoned in 1610 after decay set in from the late 16th century; in 1809 Austrian troops used the ruins as cover against advancing French forces.

The castle was first recorded in 1144 as castrum Dierenstein and was the seat of the Dürnstein family, which died out in 1192. The ruin later passed to the Wildonians, whose branch here took the castle's name. Below the ruin ran the old "Italian main road" with the imperial border customs between Styria and Carinthia.

The ruins are free to visit and open throughout the year without any entrance fees. Wear sturdy shoes because the path to the site is steep and the ground is uneven in places.

The Richard/Blondel legend belongs to Dürnstein on the Danube in Lower Austria, not to this Styrian ruin. Here, the sources record something else: in 1809 Austrian troops used the ruins as cover against the advancing French, and below the ruin ran the old "Italian main road" with the imperial border toll between Styria and Carinthia.