Burg Altaist

Burg Altaist stands on the summit of Altaist Mountain near Ried in the Riedmark district of Upper Austria. The site overlooks the wide Feldaist valley to the north and the Riederbach stream to the south. A federal road passes close by, linking Mauthausen with Pregarten. The mountain itself rises above the surrounding farmland and forests of the Mühlviertel region. The castle was once the seat of the lords of Aist, first mentioned in 1159 with Dietmar of Aistersheim. It passed to the Babenbergs in the 13th century and then fell into disuse. The oldest medieval coin found in the Mühlviertel was recovered here, a Krems pfennig struck under Leopold III or IV. Archaeologists have dated pottery from the plateau to between 1050 and 1250, with most pieces from the late 12th century. Today only a low stone ringwall and an inner ditch remain on the summit. A deeper outer rampart can still be traced around the plateau. House Altaist No 1 is said to have held the castle dungeon. A marked path, numbered 3, climbs from house Altaist No 1a to the ruins. Nearby, the Teufelskanzel rock offers a wooden viewing platform with panoramic views over the valley.