The castle ruins are situated at about 300 meters (ca. 985 feet ) altitude above the right bank of the Danube on an outcropping that runs in an East-West direction. It is some 150 meters (ca. 460 feet) long and has a rock structure at both ends. The ruins are in the Municipality of Schönbühel-Aggsbach in the Melk District of Lower Austria. Today, the Aggstein ruins, with about 55,000 visitors annually, is one of the most-visited tourist attractions of Lower Austria.
The fortress was presumably built in the early 12th c by the Kuenrings and obtained the layout it still has today three centuries later. It allowed its various owners to control transit traffic on the Danube. Boldly placed on the top of a narrow ridge, this ancient structure is conveniently accessible by car or via the Way of St. James from Maria Langegg and affords breathtaking views of the Wachau.
With their hidden stairways, courtyards and towers, a dungeon and a chapel plus a knight’s hall and a tavern, these fortifications are a great place to explore times long past.
A tour covers the entire premises. Wooden stairs take you to viewing platforms where you can peak over even the highest walls. The audio-guided tour explains the everyday life of medieval knights and intensifies the experience.
A must for all fans of the Middle Ages and adventurers young and old!
