Austria’s Schonbuhel castle

Austria’s Schonbuhel castle was built in the 12th century on a rock on the right bank of the Danube - possibly on site of a Roman fortress. It is thought the castle had huge dungeons. From the 15th century it was owned by the Starhemberg family who sold the ruins 400 yrs later. Ernst Rudiger von Starhemberg played a crucial role in saving Europe from the Ottomans in 1683. Being a military commander of Vienna with some 20000 troops he refused to surrender to the Turkish 120000-strong army fending off attacks for 2 months. When Polish king Jan Sobieski brought his 80000-men army of Poles, Venetians, Saxons and Bavarians to Vienna the Turks were crushed in the Battle of Kahlenberg. To commemorate the deed the coat of arms shows a Turk’s head, a sword in panther’s paws and the cross towering over the defeated crescent. After WWII Soviet troops used the castle till 1955.