Niederfalkenstein Castle

Niederfalkenstein is a medieval castle standing on a rocky promontory in the Hohe Tauern range. It overlooks the Möll valley east of Obervellach at 843 metres above sea level. The site belongs to the larger Falkenstein complex, where the upper fortress is now a ruin while the lower barbican remains largely intact. A 67-metre railway tunnel once passed beneath the rock before being replaced by the 396-metre Falkenstein Bridge during double-tracking in the 1970s. The ruins of Oberfalkenstein include a keep, moats and the remains of a Romanesque palas.

The castle first appears in a 1164 deed as Valchenstain, linked to Romance settlers from the old Roman city of Teurnia. The Lords of Falkenstein served the Counts of Gorizia, who held the Vogtei of Millstatt Abbey nearby. After the dynasty died out around 1300, both Upper and Lower Falkenstein passed through various nobles until Emperor Frederick III seized the upper castle in 1460. The lower castle was sold in 1462 and later rebuilt, only to burn in 1969 and be restored once more.

Visitors find the preserved barbican of Niederfalkenstein with its surrounding walls and gatehouse. The upper ruins offer views across the valley and the modern bridge below. A Baroque chapel dedicated to John the Baptist, enlarged in 1772, still serves the local community. The site remains in private hands but opens to the public in summer. Nearby Obervellach holds a parish church with an altarpiece by Jan van Scorel showing Saint Christopher, the countess and her castle.