Burgruine Obertettelham

The Burgruine Obertettelham stands on the Schlossberg Tettelham, a 597-metre hill above the village of Tettelham in the Waging am See area of Traunstein district. Built in the late Middle Ages as a highland castle, it once served as the seat of a Pflegegericht, a regional court under the Archbishop of Salzburg. The site is recorded as a protected archaeological monument and a listed building, showing its importance in the region’s history. The castle belonged to the Lords of Tettelham, who acted as ministeriales for the Counts of Kraiburg and later the Counts of Plain. In 1343 Archbishop Ortolf of Weißeneck acquired the fortress and made it a judicial centre. Conflicts with the Lords of Tann over nearby Lichtentann led to armed intervention by the Bavarian dukes, but a 1358–62 arbitration confirmed Salzburg’s control. The castle was repeatedly attacked from Bavaria, so its defences were strengthened. Today only faint traces of the old walls remain on the hilltop. The ruins offer a quiet view over the surrounding countryside and the Waging am See lake below. The site is reached by a short walk from the village, where visitors can still see the former Pfleggericht buildings that took over the castle’s administrative role in the 17th century. The peaceful setting contrasts with the castle’s turbulent past as a contested border stronghold.