Burgruine Windhaag

The ruins of Windhaag Castle are not one of the "big" castles in the Mühlviertel. Unlike Ruttenstein or Waxenberg, for example, it does not dominate the landscape due to its prominent location. However, thanks to the restoration work carried out in recent years and decades, this castle in particular provides an insight into the structural framework of an ordinary medieval aristocratic residence like no other and this is where its special value lies.

Windhaag first appears in documents in 1287 as "Winthag im Machland". It was Heinricus and Freitel von Winthag who founded the Windhager family.
Windhaag Castle was probably built before this time. Later owners were Tanpecken, the Prager and the Schütter. Joachim Enzmilner bought the Windhag estate in 1636.

In 1636, Enzmilner had a new magnificent castle built next to the now "old castle".
His daughter Eva Magdalena and her nuns lived in the old castle from 1667.
After the monastery was built, the old castle only served as a residence for the confessor of the nuns, the court judge and the court clerk.

On 13 June 1734, part of the old castle collapsed and from then on was left to decay. In 1990, the municipality of Windhaag bought the castle ruins from the Linz Cathedral Chapter. Since 1992, a working group has been working voluntarily with the support of the local population to preserve the current state of the castle. The ruins have now been rebuilt to such an extent that they are free of accident hazards for visitors.

In 2012, the tower (keep) was made accessible to visitors to give visitors and hikers a beautiful view of Windhaag and the surrounding area.