Wolkenstein

In the Grödener-Thal lie dispersed in every direction about 135 farms,

which form the parish of Wolkenstein, also called Santa Maria, and

above its pretty little chapel, on the top of the peak of Sabbiakopf,

rise the ruins of the once famous stronghold of Wolkenstein, which is

said to have been built in the time of the Romans by a pagan general,

who through his wild and cruel behaviour became the scourge of the

inhabitants of all the surrounding valleys.

One day a poor pilgrim went to the castle, asking for charity, but

the general ill-treated him so cruelly that he died, and in his last

agony the pilgrim cursed the castle, and invoked upon it immediate

destruction. Directly afterwards a huge mass of rock fell and buried

it, together with its tyrannical lord, who was not less dreaded than

the fearful Orco, whose abode lay in this country.

Some centuries later on, a wandering knight arrived in the

neighbourhood, seeking treasures in the ruins of the castle; and it is

generally believed that his search was successful, because before then

he was very poor, and now he began to build a magnificent castle upon

the old ruins, and called it also Wolkenstein. Every future proprietor

took the name of the castle, together with the title of Count, and up

to the present day the family are a wealthy, powerful, and extended

race. One of their ancestors was the celebrated Minnesinger, Oswald

von Wolkenstein, who lived in the days of “Frederick with the empty

pocket.”

Later on the castle was struck by lightning, and one of the Counts

built a new castle in the valley below, and gave it the name of

Fischburg; and the old castle of Wolkenstein has since tumbled into

decay, but its magnificent and imposing ruins are still to be seen.