Pürgg-Trautenfels: Discover castle history and hiking trails

When looking for a hotel in Pürgg-Trautenfels, it’s worth considering what you’re interested in visiting: Trautenfels Castle, the Landscape Museum and the Neuhaus church ruins each offer a different cultural focus. Walking times to the historical sites range from around ten to 15 minutes; a hike to the Grimminghütte takes about an hour.

Trautenfels Castle: location and history

Trautenfels Castle stands on a rocky promontory at the foot of the Grimming. Its observation tower is 30 metres high and can be reached via 142 steps. If you’d like to visit the tower, you can take these details into account when planning your day. The castle’s history dates back to its first documented mention in 1261, when it was still called Neuhaus Castle. In 1664, Count Siegmund Friedrich von Trauttmansdorff bought Trautenfels Castle, had it remodelled and refurnished, and gave it the name Trautenfels. More than four centuries separate the castle’s first mention from this later transformation.

Landscape Museum and Neuhaus church ruins

The Landscape Museum presents the cultural and natural history of the Liezen district across 13 rooms. Its focus is therefore on the region rather than solely on the history of a single castle. If you’d like to explore cultural and natural history in this broader context, the museum offers a distinct thematic perspective alongside the historical sites.

The Neuhaus church ruins were built near Trautenfels in 1575 as a Protestant church and destroyed in 1599 during the Counter-Reformation. The foundations of the former church are now a memorial site, which opened in 1992. The church’s construction and destruction in the 16th century belong to a different historical period from the later opening of the memorial site.

Trails and walking times

A short, reflective walking trail leads from Trautenfels Castle to the Neuhaus church ruins memorial site in about ten minutes. Another trail starts at the car park behind Trautenfels Castle and leads to the church ruins in about 15 minutes. The final section follows the Bible Hiking Trail. When comparing times, note the different starting points: one route begins at the castle, the other at the car park behind it.

The “Tressenstein from Trautenfels Castle” tour starts at the castle car park and reaches the Grimminghütte after about an hour. This gives you the choice between a short walk to the memorial site and a longer hike to a different destination. The KulturNaturGenuss circular trail passes the castle ponds and offers another specific point of interest for an outing.

Getting around by bus or bicycle

Trautenfels Castle is on the Enns Cycle Path and offers a place to stop and relax. If you’re travelling by bus, RegioBus routes 940 or 941 run from Stainach-Irdning station to the Trautenfels Schloss stop. From there, it’s a five-minute walk to the museum. Check the timetable before departure, as schedules may change.

Discover more destinations: Pruggern, Großreifling, Rottenmann, Sankt Nikolai Im Sölktal, Aich-Assach, St. Leonard, Michaelerberg, Gröbming.

Back to the main travel overview: Liezen.