The early history of this ancient stronghold is shrouded in myth. It was first mentioned in documents dating from the 11th century and in the course of its long history it was owned by several very powerful families. In 1634 it virtually burnt to the ground and the 17th century reconstruction has been retained almost in its entirety. In the reign of Emperor Leopold I, the castle on the lake came into the possession of the Habsburg family and 80 years later it was purchased by Duke Johann Nepomuk Salvator who had bought the castle on the shore some time earlier. He then changed his name to Johann Ort, calling himself after the two castles. After falling out with the imperial family, he set off on a voyage to South America but never arrived and was presumed dead. At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle came under the administration of the state forestry department before being handed over to the town of Gmunden in 1995, after which it was completely restored. Today the two castles joined by a 123 m long wooden bridge are a famous site and the church is well known as a place where you can get married far beyond the borders of the province. In the years 1996 to 2004, it was the venue for the popular Austrian TV series “Schlosshotel Orth”.