Lengberg Castle
Nikolsdorf, Austria
Open to visitors
The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.
Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.
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Lengberg Castle, situated in Nikolsdorf in East Tyrol about 13 kilometres east of Lienz, began as a fortress built by the earls of Lechsgemünde in the late 12th century before passing to the Archbishop of Salzburg's control in the 13th century. During the 15th century, Austrian noble Virgil von Graben added a second storey and commissioned a complete rebuilding of the chapel, consecrated in October 1485—both projects documented by Italian humanist Paolo Santonino. The castle changed hands multiple times through the Napoleonic era and entered private ownership from 1821 onward, even serving as a hospital during a cholera epidemic in 1831. A major 2008 renovation uncovered a hidden 15th-century vault on the second floor containing textile remains, including four linen bras—one remarkably similar to modern designs with laced edges—that scholars have recognized as significant evidence in the history of functional women's undergarments.
- Built
- Type
- château
- Heritage
- Listed objects in Austria
- Place
- Nikolsdorf, Austria
This building on
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Location