Week 28: Prandegg Castle

Yesterday began Eric’s 20 days ‘til 30 extravaganza. I am planning an event every day to make the countdown to 30 a little less daunting and a lot more exciting. 

Day 1: Explore Prandegg Castle

The castle is the second largest castle in Upper Austria and is east of Linz–90 minutes from us in Gmunden. The story of this castle begins in the 13th century. Prandegg used to be the "tax office" of the region, where the farmers had to deliver their taxes. 

An etching of what Prandegg Castle may have looked like in the 1600s.

Google maps will say you have arrived when you reach a parking lot off of the main road. The castle is nowhere to be seen from the parking lot, but walk uphill through the forest for 10 minutes and you will arrive at the Castle.

After the somewhat strenuous 10 minute walk, we entered what felt like a scene of (enter the name of any medieval movie). A dirt gravel road leading to the walls of the square courtyard where travelers could sit, enjoy the day, and have a snack. We passed a burning lime kiln and learned the kiln was necessary to produce a binding agent for the stone walls that created the castle.

Beyond the courtyard is the mighty Prandegg Castle. 

There is a lot to explore in the old walls of the well-preserved castle ruins. There is now a renovated walking path that takes you in and around the castle. The tower, aka “the keep”, is where we started our tour. You can see the remains of what was once a dungeon where prisoners were kept. There is a mock prisoner on display to paint the full picture – creepy to me, very cool to Eric. 

As you make your way up the spiral staircase, you start to feel like one of the guards. There is a metal plate attached to the top showing the direction of other cities and landmarks for reference. 

Next to explore is the guard room, housing quarters, cellars, and an open air chapel. A castle like this with so many nooks and crannies is fun for people of all ages. Throughout the courtyards, grass and vines are starting to run up the walls and transform this historic place once again. What was once a castle ruled by people of fortune, is now in ruins taken over by nature and left to the imagination of tourists who pass by wondering what kinds of stories this castle has to tell.