Rosenburg Castle

Rosenburg stands on a rock above the Kamp in the Waldviertel, medieval in origin and rebuilt in the sixteenth century by the Grabner family into a Renaissance residence with arcaded courts. Its distinguishing feature is the Turnierhof, a jousting courtyard surrounded by galleries from which spectators watched - one of very few such courtyards surviving anywhere in this state, since most were demolished when tournaments went out of fashion. The castle burned in 1800 and was rebuilt in the nineteenth century in historicist manner by the Hoyos family, who still own it. Falconry displays are run in the Turnierhof several times a day in season with eagles, vultures and owls flying over the audience, and they are the main draw for most visitors alongside the state rooms.

What you actually see

• A surviving jousting courtyard - the Turnierhof with its spectator galleries.
• Renaissance arcaded courts - the sixteenth-century Grabner rebuilding.
• Daily falconry - eagles, vultures and owls flown in the tournament yard.
• A position over the Kamp - the castle rock above the river valley.

When to go

April to October; falconry runs to a daily timetable. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Closed over winter. Falconry shows run at set times - miss them and the visit is much thinner. The interior is seen by guided tour. It is privately owned, with areas closed.

Nearby

Horn and Altenburg Abbey are north; the Kamptal wine country runs south.