Rosenburg Castle
The medieval castle of Rosenburg rises on the rocky bank of the Camp River among the hills overgrown with forest in Lower Austria. Around the castle is the Kampala National Park. The magnificent structure is surrounded by amazing fountains, fragrant gardens of roses and a whole wall of them 100 m long, perennial strong oaks, funny green glades. Since 1678, the owner of the castle is the Hoios family. In the distance you can see the Altenburg Monastery – a grandiose masterpiece in the luxurious Baroque style.
History of Rosenburg Castle
The first mention of the castle dates back to 1175. Initially, it was an impregnable fortress at that time, surrounded by a five-angle courtyard. The castle was owned by the Rosenberg family. The goal of the construction of – control over trade routes laid from Bohemia to Vienna is easier – collection of tolls. In 1433, during the Gussite uprising, the castle was captured by them, looted and half destroyed. For a long time no one tried to restore it.
In 1476, K. von Rogendorf, manager at the court of Frederick III, became the owner of the Castle of Roses. He spent a lot of effort and managed to restore the castle. In 1486. The Grabner brothers bought Rosenburg, who continued to improve and expand their new possessions. Three generations of Grabners continued to work on the castle. Under the influence of the era, he turned into a fortified castle in the architectural style of the Renaissance. Sebastian Grabner invested so much in the reconstruction that he got into huge debts. The castle again replaced the owners. Now it was already a grand, but rather compact structure, surrounded by 13 towers, which can be seen today. In addition, the built venue for knightly tournaments was impressive in size. It is the largest in Europe: 67 x 46 m.
From 1527 to 1532, Rosenburg belonged to the Spanish Knight's Order. In 1611, Cardinal F. von Dietrichstein became the owner of the castle. There was a Protestant chapel in the castle, the cardinal decided to remake it into a Catholic temple. The Thirty Years War began. In 1620, the castle was captured by Protestant Baron von Hofkirchen. He dealt with the small garrison of the castle and its inhabitants. Rosenburg again suffered from destruction. Recovery and reconstruction half a century later, the new owners of – the Hoios family took up. The fire that broke out in 1800 caused enormous damage to the castle. Rosenburg was again restored only in 1860.
The interior of the castle
There are 26 huge halls in Rosenburg Castle, the interiors of which are impressive. The walls are decorated with excellent painting, ancient paintings and a collection of hunting rifles. The marble floor is lined with a unique ornament. In the library, consisting of several rooms, bookcases are elevated, filled with more than 40 thousand copies dated from the XVI-XIX c. The castle halls present a magnificent exposition of weapons of the Middle Ages and the New Age. Swords, daggers, hunting and combat guns, knives, spears, bows, arrows, crossbows and even small guns. Deer horns, equipment for hunting with falcons are hung on the walls.
Falcon show and chivalrous tournament
A falcon show is regularly held in the castle park. Everyone is shown how hunting passes, how wild kites and falcons are tamed. Just an unforgettable impression when the bird, not even very large, sits on its hand. The hand in the glove is safe, but from emotions the heart simply freezes. Stylized tournaments are held on the knightly platform. The real medieval knights, the ringing of swords, horses in the ammunition of – is all so real that the audience begins to feel themselves representatives of that long-standing era.
Exposition « Life of the Nobility » presents magnificent dishes, furniture and much more, immersing in the atmosphere of life of that time. In summer, medieval festivals and concerts are held in the palace and park complex. Castle owner Marcus Hoyos is restoring and equipping new exhibitions at present.
