| Merkenstein ruins | |
|---|---|
Ruine Merkenstein | |
 Engraving of Merkenstein in 1670 by Georg Matthäus Vischer | |
 An arch in the Merkenstein ruin, photographed in 2012 | |
| Coordinates | 47°58′56″N 16°08′01″E / 47.98226°N 16.13364°E |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Austrian government |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | Before 1166 |
The Merkenstein ruins are the remains of a castle in Lower Austria near Bad Vöslau in the Großau cadastre (property register). In some sources, it is mentioned as early as the year 1141. The first definite mention is in the Codex Falkensteinensis in 1170. Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated two Lieder to the ruin.