Palterndorf Castle

The fortified tower of Palterndorf in Palterndorf in the Weinviertel (Lower Austria) was first mentioned in the Liechtenstein Urbarium in 1414. However, the tower is likely significantly older. It is the only Gothic village tower in Lower Austria north of the Danube.

The tower was built from rubble stone, with wall thickness reaching over one meter at the base. On a footprint of 8 by 8 meters, the tower rises to an eave height of 14 meters. Nothing remains of the former rampart and moat.

On the ground floor, there is a barrel-vaulted room, accessible through a later installed door. This access allowed the room to be used as a stable, and remnants of feeding troughs are still present. Originally, this room could only be reached through a small "fear door" from the first floor of the tower. A legend tells of an underground escape route to the fortified church of Palterndorf, but the existence of this connection could not be proven.

The actual tower entrance is a high entrance on the first upper floor and could only be reached by a ladder. In total, the tower had three floors and a final platform. Later, the tower received a tent-shaped roof with an attached clock. In 1945, the tower burned out and subsequently stood empty.