Klingenstein Castle

The small defensive complex, once called Salla, was built in an area that the Carinthian Duke Heinrich von Eppenstein had donated to St. Lambrecht Abbey in 1103. When the castle was built is as unknown as its builder and its early owners. It was intended to secure the crossing over the Gaberl, the so-called Reisstraße. This was only laid out relatively late, in the 14th or 15th century. Therefore, Klingenstein is a rather late complex for Austrian castle building. The castle Salla may have been built around 1400. At least the masonry technique points to this. In this case, the builders could have been the Counts of Montfort.

In the 16th century, the castle certainly belonged to the Saurau family. Maria Magdalena von Saurau brought it into her marriage with Ruprecht von Glojach. Its decay must have set in relatively quickly, as it was already described as desolate in 1629. At that time, the Protestant-minded Glojachers had to emigrate and sell their possessions. The Herberstein family became the new owner. The "desolate castle" came into the possession of Leonore Eusebia Countess Wagensperg in 1650, who attached the property to her lordship of Greißenegg. Archaeological excavations suggest that a severe fire was the reason for the final destruction of the castle. The name "Klingenstein" only appears since 1834. The ruin is now privately owned. Since 1983, Sicherungsarbeiten (stabilization works) have been carried out by the municipality of Salla.