Stand on the bridge where the Steyr runs into the Enns and look up: the long wings of Schloss Lamberg close the view. A deed of 980 records the site as Stirapurhc, the Styraburg, from which Steyr takes its name. In the 11th century the fortress was the residence of the Otakars.
From fortress to Baroque residence
- 980First written record of the Styraburg.
- 11th centuryResidence of the Otakars.
- 1666Johann Maximilian von Lamberg inherits Steyr and the castle.
- 1727A fire destroys the castle; the Counts of Lamberg rebuild it in the Baroque style. The medieval keep survives.
- 1980For Steyr’s millennium, the castle hosts the Upper Austrian state exhibition on the Hallstatt culture.
What to see
The courtyard, about 1,000 m², is open all year. Its fountain is dated 1666 and decorated with small sandstone figures. The Lamberg library and the state rooms can be visited on guided tours by appointment, and the Schlossgalerie hosts exhibitions. The former chapel is now the civil registry office, so you may meet a wedding party on a Saturday.
Events at the castle
- Castle concerts on Friday evenings in summer.
- Musikfestival Steyr: in July and August the castle moat becomes an open-air stage.
- Schloss.Lamberg.Advent: the Advent market in the castle grounds.
Around the castleWalk down to the Stadtplatz for the Bummerlhaus and the Rococo town hall, or cross the bridge over the Steyr to the Michaelerkirche and the old quarter of Steyrdorf.
Related places
Sources: Upper Austria Tourism · Wikipedia · oberoesterreich.at