Burg Pürnstein

Piberstein, Austria, Austria

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Burg Pürnstein is a medieval castle ruin located in the village of Piberstein near Neufelden in Upper Austria's Mühlviertel region, perched at about 537 meters above sea level on a rocky outcrop.

Built in the 13th century around 1200-1250 by the brothers Ruga and Arnold von Piberstein as a strategic fortress and woodland clearing center, it passed through many noble families like the Haderers, Falkensteins, and Schallenbergs, who expanded it in Renaissance style around 1620 with decorative elements like sgraffito paintings and marble cladding.

It endured sieges such as a failed Hussite attack in 1427 and served as a bulwark against Turkish threats in 1594, but fell into ruin after the 18th century due to abandonment and lack of maintenance.

Since the 1960s, restoration efforts by locals and authorities have transformed it into a regional cultural center hosting concerts, exhibitions, readings, and music festivals within its extensive walls enclosing a 784-square-meter core castle and larger outer bailey, complete with towers, a chapel, and remnants of defensive features like gun ports.