Burg Marquartstein

The history of Marquartstein Castle, a medieval hilltop castle on a rock jutting out into the valley of the Tiroler Achen, goes back to the 11th century. It was built around 1075 under Count Maquart II of Hohenstein as the new residence of his family. In 1130 it came into the possession of the Count Palatine of Ortenburg-Frontenhausen. Around 1250 Duke Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria bought it and created a caretaker, court and treasury office here. For centuries Marquartstein Castle was the seat of court and administrative center of the Achen Valley. The caretaker court was dissolved in 1802, and the north wing was demolished a year later. In 1808 the castle was finally abandoned. In the course of its further history it changed owners and functions several times. Since 1988 the castle has been privately owned by the art dealer Konrad Bernheimer from Munich and is not open to the public.

Castle Church of St. Veit

The late Gothic castle church of St. Veit was built in the 13th century. After a fire on February 13, 1843, it was rebuilt two years later. The picture on the high altar depicts Saint Benedict and the Virgin Mary, who in a vision places the baby Jesus in his arms. On September 10, 1894, the famous musician and composer Richard Strauss married his student, the singer Pauline de Ahna, in the castle church. Even today, regular services and events are still held in the castle church.