Neuburg Castle

The castle ruin Neuburg in the municipality of Koblach in Vorarlberg stands on the inselberg of the same name in the Rhine Valley plain.

The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1152 as Welf property and became a Staufer castle in 1191. In 1268, it was under the rule of the Thumb von Neuburg family. The castle and lordship were sold to Austria in 1363 and were administered by bailiffs or, through pledging, by counts (1405 Counts of Montfort, 1589 Counts of Hohenems, 1679 Counts of Clary-Aldringen). The castle was taken out of use in 1744 and demolished in 1769. From 1956, preservation work was carried out on the castle ruin.

The extensive encircling walls and outer fortifications were adapted to the steep flanks of the inselberg and thus ran irregularly. Access was from the south through a narrow gate zwinger. Based on the wall structures of the still existing foundations, construction in the 13th and 14th centuries is considered certain. Afterwards, in the 15th century, alterations and extensions took place, such as the insertion of two semicircular rondels with gun embrasures in the east, then around 1500 the installation of a mighty gun rondel in the south. In the north, an inner standing area for small guns was created by infilling. The west was secured on an elevated rock head by the main castle, which was built in the 12th century and extended in the south by a palas in the 13th century.