Fürstenstein Castle
The Fürstenstein Castle stands on a 500 meters high crystal-granite mountain ridge and you will be amazed by its interesting dichotomy, its opposed parts. According to the old legend, two giants had a contest and built the castles Fürstenstein and Englburg. However, the truth is that they were built in the 11th century by the mighty Count of Hals near Passau for the protection of the Bavarian Forest. After the destruction of the castle, the Bavarian dukes rebuilt the castle "Stein" (stone), and since then it has been called "Fürstenstein" (Prince or Ruler’s Castle). In 1629 the “Fürstensteiner Schlosskapelle” (castle chapel) was built after the "Gnadenkapelle", the Altötting Chapel of Mercy (or Chapel of Grace). Since the beginning of the 19th Century, the castle, with its beautiful old park is privately owned.
The castles facade alone is worth an excursion. Every year, the gates of Fürstenstein open for interesting castle tours, exhibitions, elegant festivals, concerts or atmospheric Christmas markets that you should certainly not miss!
  

Englburg (Castle) in Tittling
The castle Englburg is located on a hill in 581 meters above sea level. The high-level castle, the dome towers and the spacious construction are reminiscent of the 14th century. Various noble families, the last being the Lords of Taufkirchen, resided in the castle. In the second half of the 19th Century, the estate owners, the Niedermeiers, began to reconstruct the castle and turned it into a popular site. A remnant from that time is the look-out tower. The castle is now privately owned.

 

Saldenburg
Surrounded by a natural forest landscape, the Saldenburg is approximately 30 kilometers north of the “Three Rivers City” of Passau. The old knight's fortress is the third of the castles besides the two castles Englburg and Fürstenstein in the Bavarian Forest vacation area, which make up the castles of the "Dreiburgenland" (Three Castles Country). In the year 1368, Knight Heinrich Tuschl from Söldenau was awarded a fief with the requirement that a fortress was to be erected on the mountain. This is how the Saldenburg, or the “Sälde” (luck), which in colloquial speech is affectionately called the "forest lantern", came into existence. Over the centuries, the castle often changed its owners and was involved in many conflicts. In 1927 the Free State of Bavaria acquired it. Since 1929, the still surviving manor house has been used as a youth hostel. It has 133 beds and is considered to be one of the most beautiful and finest of its kind. The castle is not regularly accessible for inside-sightseeing. With a special tour you can access the baroque style Knight's Hall, the chapel, the Gothic living/sitting room, the former “Gesindekuchl“ (servant/domestic kitchen) and one of the bedrooms. There is a concert every year in November in the Baroque Hall of the castle.

Fürsteneck Castle in the Ilz Valley
The castle was erected about 1180 under the Prince-Bishop of Passau, Wolfker of Erla. The wild-romantic location of Castle Fürsteneck, situated over the confluence of the "Wolfsteiner Ohe" and "Ilz", invites you to linger. As early as 1212, Pope Innozenz VIII confirmed by deed the foundation of the castle chapel. Around the year 1570, bishop Urban renovated Castle Fürsteneck and erected a district court, consisting of 292 estates. They are the present-day communities Fürsteneck, Perlesreut and Ringelai. In the year 1803, castle and court were placed under the archduke Ferdinand of Salzburg, and in 1806, under the Bavarian kingdom. Since 1921, the castle Fürsteneck is the property of the Forster family.

Castle Ruins Diessenstein near Saldenburg
This castle was built or rebuilt in 1347 by the Knight Schweiker II. Tuschl of Söldenau along with four other members of the Tuschl family. It lay on a high mountain over the Ilz and only "a rifle shot" away from the border to the former Prince-Diocese of Passau. In 1742, the once-fortified castle was destroyed in the War of the Austrian Succession by the Panduren colonel, Baron of Trenck. Today, the ruin is private property. You can visit the partly rebuilt ruins using the trail "Ilztalrunde-Nr. 83" and the theme trail "Ritter Tuschl auf den Fersen" (On the trail of the Knight Tuschl).