Our next stop was at Grein (also in Austria) which has the impressive Greinburg Castle on top of the hill. Although built in the Middle Ages to protect the area (as they all were), in the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle, then known as Graffenburg Castle, received a significant makeover, making it more homely, which is also when it received its current name. In 1822, the castle was acquired and is still owned privately, by the Duke and Duchess of Saxony-Coburg-Gotha.
We weren't allowed in for about 30 minutes as there was a wedding taking place. Eventually we were allowed in and what a good decision to wait this was. The photos we took do not do it justice as it is indeed a fantastic place, well worth the visit and justifies its popularity as a wedding venue.
The best part of the castle (in my opinion) are the lower rooms, some might call it them the cellars where early grottos were constructed using millions of sea-shells, a common folly of the 17th and 18th centuries in many countries. They were often built to mimick a nymphaeum which in ancient Greece and Rome times, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs; amazingly I managed to snap a photo of three not so old nymphs whilst admiring the grotto.
