Hohenburg Castle

Burgruine Hohenburg auf Rosenberg is a ruined medieval castle near Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia, Austria. It is located high above the Drava Valley on the southern slope of the Ankogel Group, part of the Hohe Tauern mountain range.

The castle was first mentioned as castrum Hohenburc in a 1142 deed, it was then the seat of a Bavarian noble family who as Counts of Lurn administered the Lurngau region within the Duchy of Carinthia. The last count, Altmann, had become Prince-Bishop of Trent in 1124, and upon his death in 1149, the castle was bequested to the Archbishopric of Salzburg.

In 1311 the Salzburg archbishop enfeoffed the Counts of Ortenburg with a part of the Hohenburg estates. The Ortenburgs, heirs of the extinct Counts of Lurn, had aspired this property for a long time. Nevertheless the residence became less important when it was succeeded by nearby Feldsberg Castle as administrative seat of the Salzburg possessions. When the Ortenburg dynasty became extinct in 1418, their possessions passed to the Counts of Celje.

Today only ruins remain. The castle was probably destroyed in the 15th century conflicts between the Counts of Görz and the Habsburg Emperor Frederick III over the heritage of Count Ulrich II of Celje. The former chapel was rebuilt as the Baroque St Mary's pilgrimage church in 1707.