Clam Castle

Burg Clam stands on a rock above the Klamschlucht gorge in the Mühlviertel and has belonged to the same family, the Pergers who became the Clams, since 1524, an unbroken tenure of about five hundred years, which is why the interiors contain what a family accumulates rather than what a museum assembles: a castle apothecary with its medicine chest of 1603, armour, portraits, a chapel and a library. The Renaissance arcaded courtyard is the architectural set piece. Since the 1990s the castle has run one of the best-known open-air concert venues in Austria in the meadow below the walls, with international rock and pop acts playing to tens of thousands through the summer, which has become a large part of what the estate does and fills the roads for miles on show nights.

The main sights

• A family castle since 1524 - interiors accumulated rather than curated.
• The castle apothecary - with its medicine chest of 1603.
• A Renaissance arcaded courtyard - the architectural centre of the building.
• Summer open-air concerts - major acts playing the meadow below the walls.

When to go

May to September; check the concert calendar. Half a day.

Things to know

Concert days close the castle to ordinary visitors and gridlock the local roads. Interior access is by guided tour. Winter opening is minimal. The gorge walk below is separate.

Nearby

Grein is east and the Danube south; the Klamschlucht gorge is below the castle.

Key facts