Restored/open to public/cafe within/museum & tours
1025
Konrad II/Administered by the Ratpotonen family.

Burghausen is one of those-must see castles. This is what visitors should be visiting instead of Neuschwanstein if they really want to touch medieval life.

The castle is atop a long finger of land that seemingly was waiting throughout history for the right castle. Burghausen takes advantage of every inch of the hill top, stretching the complex out over a full kilometer. A total of six courtyards or baileys divide the complex.

There are two museums within the castle and the complex is much as it was when it underwent its last major construction period to increase its fortifications in the 15th century. Parts of the defensive structure reaches down to the village and is integrated into its town walls. ll together Burghausen is probably one of the most powerful and impressive of all Germany's castles.

Don't miss this one if you can help it.

Burghausen is one of the few castles that had a separate torture chamber. The actual torture devises are on display at the National Museum in Munich. (The museum is a great place to spend a few days. Anything less would be either too exhausting to attempt to see so much or too limiting to take in all there is to see.)

 Inside one of the courtyards is this collection of cannon balls (L). From everywhere on the castle grounds you can see great vistas of the German countryside or, as in this view, (R) one of the town churches on the German side of the Salzach river and the towns of Austria on the other side.

The height of this castle provided a great natural defense, but it created a problem typical of castles using elevation to integrate isolation into their defensive strategy: the water supply was down at river level. The well at Burghausen was as critical to survival as any wall. (In the photo at left the houses visible at the top are on the opposite bank of the Salzach river in Austria. This gives you an idea of the depth that had to be dug - by men without machines - to insure a water supply in the event of a siege of the castle.)(Below is a toilet (garderobe) projecting from the outer wall of the castle. There were no water systems - only gravity.)

 

 

 The final courtyard or bailey (hof) at the deepest end of the castle is where the palace is. Here is where the chambers of the princes is located. Within this court are two great looking covered staircases. (Below is the staircase on the right as you enter the bailey. This one leads to the kemnate - womens' and childrens' chambers. The second is identical and on the opposite side of the court).



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