Rosenburg Castle

thumb|300px|Aerial view of Rosenburg Castle in Lower Austria Rosenburg is a castle in the municipality Rosenburg-Mold, Lower Austria, Austria. Rosenburg is on a cliff above the valley of the River Kamp at an elevation of above sea level. It is one of Austria's most visited Renaissance castles. It is situated in the middle of a nature reserve - the Naturpark Kamptal - which adds to its appeal. There are various castles and fortifications in Austria and Germany that bear the name "Rosenburg", but if people use the term without further specifications, it may be understood that they refer to this site in Lower Austria. The well-known Austrian folk song "Es liegt ein Schloss in Österreich" ("There is a castle in Austria") is often assumed to refer to the Rosenburg.

==History== ===Origin and Middle Ages=== The first written record of Rosenburg dates back to 1175. The first castle on the site was erected in Romanesque style in the 12th century. Of this castle, only some of the foundations are preserved in the base of the current castle keep. Catholic Rosenburg was razed by Hussite forces in 1433. In 1476 the Rosenburg was vastly extended under the rule of Count Kaspar von Rogendorf, chamberlain of Emperor Frederick III. With this extension, the castle was transformed into the then-popular Gothic style. The current chapel and most of the outer-most walls are the best preserved examples of construction in this period. After this expansion, the Rosenburg served repeatedly as a stronghold of the Austrian armies in their struggle with Hungarian invaders. In 1487, the castle was sold to Jakob and Christoph Grabner from the Lord's Von Graben.