Burgruine Zelking

The Burgruine Zelking stands on the slope of the Hiesberg in the municipality of Zelking-Matzleinsdorf in Lower Austria. First mentioned in 1100 with Wernher von Zelking, it was the ancestral home of the Zelking family. The lords of Zelking died out in 1634, and the fortress passed through several noble families. During the 1683 Turkish siege of Vienna, locals took refuge inside its walls. By the early 20th century, the structure had fallen into ruin. The remaining ruins date from the 12th to 16th centuries, with a massive round-arched gate and a few arrow-slit windows still visible. The site once included a keep and residential buildings, now reduced to stonework. After the seat of power moved to nearby Matzleinsdorf, the castle was abandoned. Later owners included the counts of Rohrau and the Galgozy-Galantha family. The decline began in the late 19th century. Visitors today find a quiet hillside setting with the stone remnants of the old fortress. The round-arched gate and narrow windows hint at its medieval past. The surrounding landscape offers views over the region’s rolling hills. The ruins stand as a quiet reminder of the Zelking family’s history and the castle’s role in local defence. The site is easily reached from the village below.