Burgruine Ruttenstein

Burgruine Ruttenstein stands on a forested hilltop 758 metres above sea level, overlooking the valley of the Große Naarn near Pierbach in Upper Austria. The site once housed a five-sided bergfried whose pointed remains still rise above the ruins. A wooden staircase now leads to an observation platform built over the former living quarters, giving wide views across the surrounding countryside. The castle first appears in records in 1209 when Duke Leopold VI granted it to Baumgartenberg Abbey. Over the centuries it passed through the hands of the Kapellers, Walseers, Liechtensteiner and Meggauer families before becoming property of the Dietrichsteins. By 1585 the roof had gone and by 1674 the ruins were already complete. Visitors reach the site along marked footpaths from Pierbach or Mönchdorf. The Erhaltungsverein keeps the walls standing and organises summer guided tours from a nearby inn. Below the hill the felled woodland has restored the medieval outlook, making the tower’s silhouette visible once more. The early Gothic chapel beside the old staircase and fragments of the ring wall with seven towers remain recognisable.