Burg Krems

Burg Krems is a castle in Styria, Austria. Burg Krems is 330 metres (1,080 ft) above sea level. The ruins of Krems Castle are located east of the municipality of Voitsberg in Styria in the district of Krems. The history of the castle dates back to the 11th or 12th century, when the Archbishop of Salzburg had it built. It was first mentioned in a document in 1248. Krems was owned several times by larger noble families, who, however, usually entrusted caretakers or administrators with the administration of the dominion. In the 14th century Krems held the lower jurisdiction and in the 16th century the castle was expanded into a Renaissance palace with a zoo. In the 17th century, Count Karl Saurau acquired the estate and merged it with his dominion of Ligist. After transferring the administration to Ligist Castle in 1730, he neglected Krems and left it to decay. In 1817, part of the castle slid down after a rainstorm. In 1857 it was bought by Archduke Johann. On 20 March 1936, the ruins were declared a listed building and the site was secured and made accessible. A castle association carried out renovation work in the 1960s. Since 1988, Krems Castle has been owned by the association Licht im Leben (Light in Life). Since 1993, it has been restored by the newly founded castle association. Among other things, a path was built around the ruins and the keep was made accessible again. A small museum room opened in May 2015 shows the history of Krems Castle. The castle complex is the ruin of a hilltop castle on an advanced ridge. The five-storey keep built on a rock is a prominent feature of the castle and can be seen from afar. In the south of the complex is a residential tower with two adjoining residential buildings. A ring wall runs around the entire area, some of which has embrasures. The outer castle in front of the core castle to the north is considered the youngest part of the complex. It has two small corner towers, one of which has been preserved in its full height.