Dobra Castle

Dobra Castle, locally known as Burg Dobra, lies south of the village of Reichhalms, east of the city of Zwettl in the province of Lower Austria in Austria.

Dobra Castle was first mentioned in 1278 when it was given to Otto von Dürnstein. In 1329, Arnold von Dobra sold the castle to his uncle, Simon von Sitzendorf. Johann II von Kuenring inherited the castle in 1342. In 1408, the castle went to the Liechtenstein family. The castle was besieged in 1448. During the 16th century, the castle changed ownership several times.

In 1639, Dobra Castle was bought by Jakob von Kuefstein. Dobra Castle was sieged again in 1645, this time by Swedish troops. In 1715, the castle went to the Von Ehrmanns family. After they had built a new manor in Wetzlas, they abandoned the castle in 1725, after which it fell into ruin. Locals used the ruins as a quarry for their own houses and to enlarge the church at Franzen.

The castle was built on a ridge overlooking the Kamp River valley. It has a rectangular layout with a gate on each end. There are still several large towers and some cellars you can visit. Nowadays, the castle is on the shore of a reservoir caused by a dam downstream of the Kamp River.

At present, Dobra Castle is freely accessible. The ruin has been consolidated since my visit and is now sometimes used as a wedding venue.

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