Burg Scharfeneck, Medieval fortress ruins in Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge, Austria.

Burg Scharfeneck is a ruined moated castle near Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge. Its rectangular walls, up to 4.5 metres thick, have a deep moat along the northern and eastern sides and four corner bastions. The keep, originally 24 metres high, was destroyed by lightning in 1555 and never rebuilt.

The castle's origins probably lie in the 11th century, though no document confirms this. Around 1400 it belonged to the Hungarian Scharfeneck family, who raided Deutsch-Altenburg in 1396 and seized Trautmannsdorf in 1404. In 1493 Maximilian I took the castle for Austria. A lightning strike in 1555 destroyed the 24-metre keep, and the site was abandoned.

The name Scharfeneck derives from the Hungarian noble family Scharfenecker, who held the castle around 1400 at the height of their power. In 1683, during the Second Turkish Siege, some 3,000 people from Mannersdorf fled inside the walls; the defenders refused to surrender despite hunger and poor hygiene. Between 1704 and 1708 residents again took shelter here from the Kuruc rebels.

The ruins are easily reached on foot and offer several viewing spots with good views of the surrounding landscape. Visitors should be prepared for uneven ground and some areas without safety railings.

The keep struck by lightning in 1555 stood 24 metres high and was never rebuilt. The rectangular walls, up to 4.5 metres thick, are flanked by four corner bastions, and a deep moat runs along the northern and eastern sides.