Burgruine Steinschloß

Mariahof, Austria, Austria

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Burgruine Steinschloß is a large, dramatically situated hill castle ruin in Styria, Austria, standing on a steep rocky spur below the Kreuzeck at about 1,180–1,200 metres above sea level, high above the Murtal between the villages of Mariahof and Teufenbach in the municipality of Neumarkt in der Steiermark; it is the highest‑located castle ruin in the region.

First mentioned in documents from the 13th century (possibly even the 12th), the castle was originally built by the noble family “von Stein” and later belonged to the Liechtensteins, who sold it in 1503 to the Abbey of St. Lambrecht; the abbey then expanded it in the 16th century, under the pressure of peasant wars and Turkish threats, into a fortified summer residence and overlook for the historic road network of the Neumarkt Pass area.

The complex is one of the largest and most impressive ruins in central Europe, with a main castle (“Hochburg”) on a rocky head, former five massive round towers with battlements, a five‑storey main building, extensive ramparts and a vast forecourt, and after being abandoned from 1786 and suffering damage from lightning.

It gradually decayed; since 2000 the “Burgverein Steinschloss” has been conserving the site in its original state without full reconstructions, and today the ruin is freely accessible, with guided tours on Wednesdays in summer and a nearby “Steinschlosshütte” for refreshments, offering panoramic views over the old pass roads and the deep Murtal far below.