Wunderburg (Gmunden)

The Wunderburg once stood on the Guglberg hill above Gmunden. The site was first mentioned in 1324 as the ‘Vest zu Gmunden’, a small tower managed by caretakers. Among them were Mathes the Schuler and Chunrat the Steger, who appears in documents of Niedernburg Abbey in Passau. The tower passed to Salzamtmann Steffan the Krafft in 1391, and later housed the astronomer Johannes of Gmunden. By 1619 the upper third of the tower had been removed to create a small arsenal for Emperor Maximilian I. The name Wunderburg comes from the Old German word ‘Wunnen’, meaning a flowery bush or meadow hill. In the 17th century the Guglberg served as a shooting range and popular recreation spot. By 1708 the fortress had been reduced further, and its stones were reused in 1708 for building the customs house. By 1825 only a few foundations remained visible on the hillside. Today the Guglberg is a quiet hill reached from Herakhstraße near the former hunting lodge of Emperor Franz Josef I. A turnverein clubhouse now occupies the site where the tower once stood. Visitors find open meadows with views over Lake Traunsee and the town of Gmunden. The hilltop offers a place to walk and look across the landscape where the Wunderburg once defended the salt route.