The Ehrenberg Ensemble
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| Rick Steves and Armin Walch star in "Indiana Jones and the Ruins of Ehrenberg." |
By Rick Steves
For years one of my favorite medieval experiences was to hike to the desolate and solitary ruins of Austria's Ehrenberg, just over the border from Germany's wildly popular "Disney castle" of Neuschwanstein.
Recently Ehrenberg has been the focus of a thrilling project, spearheaded by Armin Walch and funded in part by the European Union. Walch — the Indiana Jones of Tirolian archaeologists — is excavating an "ensemble" of four castles. Once the largest complex in the region, its purpose was to defend Tirol against Bavaria and northern Europe.
The "toll fort" on the valley floor — which levied duties along the ancient Via Claudia in Roman times — is flanked by Ehrenberg and a sister castle (Fort Claudia) on the opposite side. After locals rained cannon balls on Ehrenburg from the bluff above it, a much bigger castle was built higher up. Over the centuries it became completely overgrown and concealed. Today the trees have been shaved away, the ruin has been excavated, and it's once again visible.
Today, these castles are gradually being turned into a European Castle Museum, showing off 500 years of military architecture in one swoop (due to be completed in 2007, www.ehrenberg.at). The European Union is helping fund the project because it promotes the heritage of a multinational region — Tirol — rather than a country (the EU's vision is for a zone of regions rather than nations).
For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Guidebooks — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Germany.