Schloss Lichtenberg

Schloss Lichtenberg stands on a rocky outcrop above Saalfelden in Salzburg. The fortress first appears in records from 1281, though historians believe it was built earlier, perhaps before 1228, by the Counts of Plain. It changed hands several times between archbishops and local nobles, including the Kalhamers and the Walchens. By 1290 an archiepiscopal steward had taken charge, running the court for Saalfelden-Lichtenberg. The castle’s keepers came from Salzburg’s nobility, families such as Thurn, Hunt and Ramseider. A peasant revolt in 1526 left the stronghold in ruins, yet the community rebuilt it by 1580. A large round tower was added on the south-west side during the reconstruction. Over the following centuries the building decayed again until 1791, when repairs were finally ordered. Even then workers had to be fearless of heights to mend the roofs. In 1870 the castle was sold at auction for 8340 gulden to Dr Adolf Ritter Weiß von Teßbach, who halted its decline. Under the Weiß von Teßbach family the castle gained its present appearance. The estate remains in private hands today, so public access is not permitted. From the rocky spur the view stretches across Saalfelden and towards the Steinernes Meer. The old walls and the round tower still dominate the skyline, silent witnesses to centuries of dispute and renewal.