Castles, palaces & ruins around Innsbruck

When you think of Innsbruck and its holiday villages, you think of skiing, hiking, biking and other sporting activities. One thinks of the urban-alpine space with modern buildings paired with old, traditional architecture.

I thought to myself, what could I discover away from these things in Innsbruck and the surrounding area?

When a friend of mine told me about a castle on the Mieminger Plateau, I was astonished that I had never heard of it, even though as a photographer I get around a lot in our association area. My curiosity was aroused and I thought to myself that there are actually many castles, ruins and also palaces of which we may have heard something, but we really know nothing about them. Today I would like to introduce you to a few rather unknown buildings: the castle Klamm, the castle ruin Hörtenberg, the castle ruin Fragenstein, estate Ferklehen and the Thaurer “Schlössl”.

Gratefully accompanied by my friend who knew the area, I first went to the Mieminger Plateau. Our destination was the until then completely unknown to me castle Klamm.

Klamm Castle

From Mötz you can do a circular hike to Burg Klamm. This route is very recommendable, offers beside wonderful views on the Mieminger Plateau and into the Inntal, also a very beautiful waterfall. We chose this route because we could easily park the car in Mötz and the way led back here without having to go back the same way.

The path leads through the gorge, past the waterfall, up to the castle. The castle is very well visible, provided you know where it is. If you come from Mötz to the Mieminger Plateau, it lies in the forest, high up on a rock above the gorge. Due to its rather hidden location, it is quite unknown.

The castle was built by the bishops of Augsburg and the first inhabitant was Anshalm von Clamme, first mentioned in a document in 1250. Since 1957, Burg Klamm has been privately owned by Emil Mauritz Hünnebeck and his wife Ameli from Hösel near Düsseldorf. They completely renovated the castle and restored it to its original state. The castle is not open to the public, but the view of the castle thanks to its great location high above the gorge is still very much worth seeing. A short, not really strenuous excursion, but very worthwhile.

The waterfall below the castle gorge – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Klamm Castle on the Mieminger Plateau – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Hörtenberg castle ruins

In the municipality of Pfaffenhofen near Telfs you can find another ruin. The castle ruin Hörtenberg is located on a hill above the village and is well visible from the Inn valley. The ruin, which is also called Pfaffenhofener Schlössl, was first mentioned in a document in 1239. At that time it was owned by the Count of Eschenlohe and is named after the county of the same name, Hörtenberg. In 2007, the municipality bought the ruin from private ownership and began to renovate the badly neglected building and clear out the heavily overgrown grounds. The ruin, next to which there is also a small chapel, can be visited in the summer months and can also be rented for events.

Hörtenberg is easily accessible from Pfaffenhofen. Many paths lead up and are well signposted. I visited the ruin on a clear full moon night and brought you the following photo.

Hörtenberg castle ruins with a view of Telfs and the Hohe Munde on a full moon night – Photo by Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Castle Fragenstein

Everyone has surely noticed the Fragenstein Castle. It towers high above Zirl and lies at the foot of the Zirl mountain. The castle was built at the beginning of the 12th century by the counts of Andechs. The reason for its construction was to secure the road toll. The route over the Seefelder Sattel was an important route for the salt trade. In addition, the castle was also a place of jurisdiction, which is also the reason for its name. The word “frag” was used at that time to describe an interrogation.

The castle became a ruin during the battle of the Tyroleans against the Bavarians in 1703. When the Tyroleans could no longer withstand the superior force, the castle was blown up. Today, the castle has been restored and the tower is owned by the Kuen family, who acquired the castle in 1843. In the 70s the castle was finally renovated by the Austrian Castle Association. The rest of the ruins belong to the municipality of Zirl.

A wonderful high trail leads from Zirl past Fragenstein. Passing the entrance to the Ehnbachklamm gorge, the trail continues below the Kalvarienberg mountain on a beautiful high trail slightly uphill to the ruin. Along the way is a war memorial from which you have wonderful views of Zirl and the surrounding mountains, such as the Kalkkögeln. My recommendation is to visit the Kaiser-Max-Grotte, the Ehnbachklamm gorge and the Fragenstein castle during an extensive Sunday walk.

War memorial on the way to the Fragenstein castle with a view of Zirl – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

High path above Zirl to the castle Fragenstein – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Tunnel passage on the Zirl high trail – Photo by Danijel Jovanovic

Fragenstein castle ruins above Zirl – Photo by Danijel Jovanovic

Ansitz Ferklehen

Not far from Unterperfuss you can find this small castle called Ferklehen. However, it is located in the municipality of Ranggen. The name is derived from Fergen. At that time, Fergen were the ferrymen who operated the ferry to Zirl on the Inn River, which is not far away. After the construction of the Zirl bridge in 1482, the Fergen also served as collectors of the bridge toll. The toll business was so lucrative that in the course of this, a beautiful Gothic residence was built at this location from the ferry house. Later it served the sovereigns as a hunting lodge, ideally situated in a forest rich in game. Today the estate is privately owned and is also affectionately called “Unterperfer Schlössl”.

Ansitz Ferklehen near Unterperfuss – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Thaur Castle Ruin

Thaur Castle dates back to the 11th century. Thaur was an important place at that time, due to numerous salt springs and as a storehouse for the salt extracted in the Hall Valley. Count Andechs from Bavaria, the founder of Innsbruck, had the castle built. After Andechs, various counts of Tyrol were in possession of the castle and continuously and splendidly extended it. It is rumoured that the castle was the most beautiful in the whole Inn valley. The castle was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1670. The best preserved part is the mighty archway.

Today the ruins are being restored, but can be visited at your own risk. From Thaur, a hiking trail leads up to the Romedius Church next to the ruins. The view from here is magnificent and highly recommended. In the summer months, the ruins are often the backdrop for theatre performances.

The Thaurer “Schlössl” as it is also affectionately called, can easily be reached from the center of Thaur. Public transport is therefore a good choice, parking is limited as the path to the Thaurer Alm also passes here.

Ruin Thaur and the Romediuskirchl in front of the imposing Nordkette – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Archway of the Thaur Ruin – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Ruin Thaur in a clear starry night – Photo: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

Besides the many historical information, these ruins and castles are very nice excursion destinations in the immediate vicinity and great photo motifs. Maybe I could animate one or the other of you to have a look at some of them. It is worthwhile in any case, great photos and experiences are guaranteed and above all the ruins are all very easy to reach.