Burg Berneck

Burg Berneck is first mentioned in a document from the year 1225, in which a Hegeno de Berneggo is named as a witness. It was certainly built several years before that, and various archaeological finds even indicate settlement as early as pre-Christian times. Berneck was strategically important due to its location on the Via Claudia, which was the most important north-south connection through Tyrol until the Middle Ages. This was also where a side route to the Pitztal branched off over the Piller Sattel.

So the earliest known owners were the lords of Berneck, who gradually died out around 1400. Subsequently, the owners changed quite frequently, and in 1435 Berneck fell to the Swiss nobleman Hans Wilhelm von Mühlinen, a follower of Friedrich IV. with the empty pocket. Von Mühlinen generously expanded Berneck and transformed it from a defensive castle into a late Gothic residential castle.

In 1499, Emperor Maximilian himself became the owner of Burg Berneck, which he exchanged for Schloss Tratzberg near Schwaz. At that time, Berneck no longer had strategic importance, and Maximilian valued the hunting and fishing grounds of the castle. He also sought a residence near Switzerland, with which he was effectively in a permanent state of war. Under Maximilian, the last renovations took place, and in the following decades, Burg Berneck gradually fell into ruin under many changing owners.

It was not until the 1970s, under the new owner, an architect from Innsbruck, that the comprehensive and professional renovation of the castle began. Today, Berneck presents itself as a true gem and can be visited during the summer months. The complex is divided into three courtyards, with the mighty keep towering in the west. The Gothic bay window above the entrance gate to the castle is one of the oldest in all of Tyrol, and the most notable attractions include the beautifully restored Gothic parlor and the castle chapel with late Gothic frescoes from the time of Wilhelm von Mühlinen.

On the south side, a wooden gallery runs along the outer wall above the 130 m high cliff and offers a dizzying view into the depths. The view over the Inntal and to the nearby Burg Laudegg in Ladis is simply magnificent.

Opening hours:
Guided tours every Fri+Sat 10.00 am and 11.00 am from July-September
Registration for the tour at the TVB Kaunertal