History of the place

The castle was originally erected during the final period of the Karantanian Mark as the administration centre of a small sovereign district in the recent colonisation of eastern Styria. Ehrenfels was first mentioned in 1185 as a “small fortress aside Diepoldsberg”. The family Ehrenfels originally served as stewards to the dukes of Babenberg at the castle in Graz and called themselves “de Graeze”. The family was a leading one in the  Styrian nobility and possessed further castles in Styria and Carinthia. Otto the IV. of Ehrenfels was sovereign of Carinthia from 1389 to 1406. At the beginning of the 15th century the only daughter Barbara of Ehrenfels married Jakob of Stubenbergs from Gutenberg and the lands were merged.The earliest part of the building are the lowest two floors of the tower, which were presumably built in the 11 th or 12 th century. Later enlargements in gothic style were made until the 14 th century.

The building burned down presumably in the 17 th century. It was never rebuilt and due to its steep access was hardly ever used as a source of stone for building elsewhere. Since 1983 the owners have restored the building carefully by conserving all the old walls and sensitive addition of new parts. In this way, the owners had by 1993 erected their new home inside the building which integrates and protects the rests of the outside wall and a side building on the east side. At the moment the tower and the west wall are under reconstruction.

Fairy tales relating to the building

The Schoeckl treasure (treasure of the Stubenberg family)
Mother love and the Schoeckl treasure
The keys to the treasure of the Stubenberg family
The stories of the farmer George Hessgrueber about the Schoeckl treasure
The farmer Woelfl and the Schoeckl treasure
The white lady from Schoeckl
The gnome from the weather cave and the Schoeckl treasure
The secret tunnel from Ehrenfels castle to the church of St. Radegund
The underground Schoekel lake
The treasure cave of Ehrenfels
The weather witches and the giant Vasold
The devil and the Schoeckl witches
Otto of Ehrenfels and the local dragon
Gnomes in the Ehrenfels area
Wolves in the Ehrenfels area


Existing stories, not proven by historians

How Otto de Graece came to fame, honour and the new territory of Ehrenfels.
Sebastian Scheikel, steward and faith healer of Ehrenfels in the time of the last Babenberger.
How the church of St. Radegund was founded.
The betrayal of the treasure of Ehrenfels to the Turkish Sultan by Ahmed from Graz, and the Turkish siege and destruction of the castle in 1662.
The battle with Napoleon troops at Ehrenfels and why a nearby precipice was named “dead man”.
Story about the reason for the collapse of the north west tower wall in 1913
Doubtful hunting experience in July 1944 of the farmer Wartpichler in the Ehrenfels forest.


Special offers for children

Special events for children's birthdays parties can be offered and are in preparation.
Individually adjusted programs for groups of minimum 10 attendance can be offered as well.

Special activities for visitors

Since 2006 the former knights hall has been reconstructed and will be used in future for all year round events. The castle is being adapted step by step into a tourism venue focussed on experiencing medieval times. It is expected that 2007 and 2008 reconstruction of the building will be dominant and therefore only a few events will be possible.



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