Wildenstein Castle - Burgruine Wildenstein

Wildenstein Castle - Burgruine Wildenstein,  Bad Ischl, Upper Austria, Republic of Austria.

   Wildenstein Castle, founded in the 11th or 12th century, is situated on the old Iron Road through the Wildenstein Forest. Legend has it that it was a robber baron's stronghold. It was the only castle in the inner Salzkammergut region. From 1419, Wildenstein was the seat of the imperial administrators. (The Salzkammergut had been royal or ducal property since 1311, a state within a state). Wildenstein stands on a steep rocky spur and consists of an upper and lower castle. When it burned down for the second time in 1715, it was left to decay. Legend tells of Wildenstein as a robber baron's stronghold and of an enchanted damsel waiting for redemption in the burned-down castle. Only a young man who withstands the threat of a nine-headed dragon on a full moon night can free the damsel and will be rewarded with a treasure hidden in the ruins. Continuing west from the ruins, you reach the Teichwiese meadow, where the fishponds for Wildenstein Castle once stood. The village of Lauffen is said to have been connected to Wildenstein Castle by a secret underground passage. At that time, Lauffen was an important trading center.

Source: https://badischl.salzkammergut.at/oesterreich-poi/detail/401910/ruine-wildenstein.html