Klammstein Castle

Until 1219, the Gastein Valley belonged to the Counts of Peilstein, also known as the Sighartinger. It was likely under their rule that the rock at the valley entrance was first fortified. After their extinction, Gastein fell to Duke Ludwig of Bavaria through purchase. In 1248, the regional court came into the possession of Archbishop Eberhard II of Salzburg as a pledge. Around the middle of the 13th century, the Lords of Goldegg acquired possession of the Gastein Valley. However, the Bavarian dukes remained the feudal lords. It is uncertain whether Klammstein Castle was built around 1250 to 1270 by the Lords of Walchen or by the Goldeggers. In any case, it soon became an object of dispute between the two families.

In 1297, the Gastein Valley was acquired by the diocese through purchase. Although the Goldeggers had a right of first refusal, they could not raise the sum demanded by the Bavarian duke. The bishops appointed princely administrators (Pfleger) who resided at Klammstein. In 1513, Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach transferred the castle to Sigmund von Keutschach for life. After that, when the administrators moved to Hofgastein, the castle was left to its fate. By 1589, the castle was already dilapidated and uninhabitable. In 1760, the innkeeper of the Brandstattgut used the ruin as a quarry for lime burning. In 1840, Thomas Lackner Klammstein acquired the ruin.

In 1904, an explosion of the explosives depot occurred during the construction of the Tauern Railway. This further destroyed the remaining walls, which were then used as a quarry for the railway construction. A gradual renovation only began in 1972 when Adolf Ferner bought the ruin from the Austrian Federal Forests. Today, the tower houses a snack bar and exhibition rooms about the history of Klammstein.