Waidhofen Castle

The founders of Waidhofen were the Counts of Pernegg, who also built the town castle on a rocky outcrop. The castle was first documented in 1171 with Ortolfus de Waidehouen. Around 1220, it became a princely residence.

The castle and town were captured by King Ottokar II in 1278 and largely destroyed by King John of Bohemia in 1328. From 1341, the dominion mostly served as collateral. In 1451, the then castellan, Heidenreich Truchsess von Grub, received significant funds from the Emperor to repair the damage the castle had suffered during the Hussite invasion of 1431. In 1483, Waidhofen was occupied by Hungarian troops. In the 16th century, the complex was already severely neglected again.

It was repaired and expanded in 1525 under Wilhelm von Puchheim and in 1546 by Heinrich Streun. In 1604, the dominion passed to the Barons of Mollart, who were followed by the Sprinzenstein in 1621. Under them, the town and castle were successfully defended against the Swedes in 1645. In 1679, Waidhofen came into the possession of the Counts of Lamberg. In 1737, the castle came into the possession of a branch of the Gudenus family. In 1770, the castle underwent a renovation or extensive reconstruction in the Baroque style, with older building parts partly demolished and partly incorporated into the new building. The castle is still owned by the Gudenus family today and is inhabited all year round.