Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
30 Apr 2025
Reply rate
96.9 %
Usually responds within 4 days
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Email verified
Host offers payment
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Details
Description
Hey out there!👋
It is difficult to describe our entire castle in a few words, but we will try to keep it as short as possible for you.
At the beginning of May, the castle comes back to life and needs lots of hands to make our guests, both young and old, feel comfortable.
The castle belongs to the evangelical youth associasion sice the year 1972 and we have been operating the castle for leisure activities since 1950.
We are a non profit organization and maintain respectful handling of our young and old guests. Around 15 full -time and a countless comunity of members, ensure that our guests can spend a wonderful time on the historic and unique castle.
Give the castle your time and support and in return receive wonderful days there with a variety of fulfilling tasks!
Most of our guests are schools with supervisors, but also families, clubs, choirs, etc. find their way to the castle.
We are looking for support in reception, guest services, coffee and kiosk, kitchen, craft work, cleaning, workshops, play & fun, outdoors with our guests or whatever your talents are, there are enough areas in the castle, everyone can find the opportunity to use their skills where they feel comfortable and we are open to creative minds.
We are looking forward to working with experienced - but of course we also offer training for newcomers in all areas of everyday life at the castle:)
We are a smal family of permanent employees, but hundreds of enthusiastic creators have already found the way at our castle, who have fallen in love with the place and the community, and many have stayed with our big circle of friends. Even though things can get chaotic at some times, we never lose our fun and humor at work, which we think is one of the most important things.
Since most of our workers spend there free time at the castle, very few of them have professional experience, but everyone does their best and nobody expects things to be perfect. As long as everyone contributes as well as they can, everything will be good in the end - We are "Drama free"
We only accept workaeayers from the European countries, because of easy work permits. We strictly reject any kind of drug use and excessive alcohol consumption.
We pay at the min. wage of salary in Austria - Accommodation and food included, except you want to buy something for yourself, wich we dont have on the castle (Spar supermarket is 15 min walk away)
We prefer German-speaking members, but currently we also have English, Croatian and Hungarian represented at the castle.
Anyone with kitchen experience and who wants to help us in our modest kitchen is always welcome!
Sorry if our reply is delayed, but we get a lot of messages. We can't bring all of you wonderful people into our teams, but if you're on the way, you're always welcome to visit the castle and maybe we'll have spontanly some time left to share with you:)
Be aware, it is always possible that you will fall in love with the place, the castle and the surrounding area and dont wanna leave anymore😉
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
House sitting
Interests
Sustainability
Pets
Farming
Culture
Charity work
DIY & crafts
Plant care
Photography
Music
Hitchhiking
History
Gardening
Animals
Winter sports
Outdoor activities
Nature
Mountain
Hiking
Cycling
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
My experience is, that the castle shows you skills where you didn't know you have them.
The nice thing is that everyone has the opportunity to expand their individual skills and we give the trust that they will do it well. Our experience shows that in that way everything will be fine when we let volunteers do the work with there own common sense and people are making smart desissions.
It is definitely a work that fulfills you and you are happy every day to see the satisfied faces of the guests who value the work we do
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Help
Our groups always come to the castle with supervisors or usually have their own program. So most of our work is taking care of everything around - Showing guests the rooms, explaining the castle rules, opening the kiosk for coffee or sweets, assisting with the food distribution, or simply walking through the castle with your eyes open, as we need support for the simple jobs that have to be done but are usually left undone when something else is more important at the moment.
Guests also have the option of booking activities at the castle, such as a climbing yard (we have trained guides) or a fairy tale tour. Castle tours take place once a day during the summer holidays and otherwise only on weekends - if you plan to stay longer, we can introduce you to the history, as it is one of the most fun activities.
If you have any special skills or ideas and would like to offer a leisure program, please let us know and we will be happy to implement it - creative freedom!
On special weekends, events can take place at the castle, such as the middle age festival, fairytale festival or beginning of December we have the winter magic christmas market, for which we have to prepare some stuff. Sometimes there are also weddings take place at the castle, where we need support with prepering everything nicely and give them an unforgettable day^^
Once in the season there will be a castle festival, where our comunity from all over come to the castle and we dress up and celebrate together.
Usually there is always something going on everywhere. You will get know the castle bretty well, from the basement to the top of the tower and have fun days in a team full of wonderful creators.
Our next big project is the renovation of our old ruin from the 13th century. So craftsmanship and common sense are always in demand at the castle;)
Getting involved, fun and community! With a hand saw, brush or computer, YOU will become Finsterling's best friend!
Chopping wood, shoveling earth, painting walls, making goodies, sorting materials, plastering holes, removing moss from the wooden parts of the castle....
Or just work through our never ending to-do List.
Planing, sawing, gluing, carving,
dowelling tenons, turning screws -
spraying yourself with PU glue...
Sticking foil, swinging paintbrushes,
That doesn't bother us at all.
But especially you will have an unforgetable time with never forgetting people.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Hungarian: Fluent
Accommodation
We have a Kitchen wich cooks usually every day for our guests. Sometimes, when there are no guests in the Castle, we have to preper the meal for our selfe, or we go to a restaurant😋
Accommodation is in the castle. Dorms or single beds and with a possibly other volunteers. The kitchen and bathroom is common.
What else ...
We live in a small region surrounded by the Alps. There are many hiking & cycling routes, valleys and mountain lakes or waterfalls to explore. If time allows, we always use our free time for trips or, by arrangement, the castle bus can also be used for explore the area.
Bus and train run in the valley - about a 15 minute walk down the Castleroad.
There are also some museums and other castles nearby that can be visited, or directly opposite we have a silver mine where you can take a guided tour of the tunnels.
If you love climbing, we have some routes for rope climbing above the castle or steel rope routes, after a few minutes of drive.
And by the way, there are many traditional alpine festivals and cultures to see in the region.
Otherwise there is usually something going on at the castle and the time can also be spent relaxing around the campfire or chimney, or at a fun karaoke night in the knights' hall, or simply enjoy the breathtaking view from the castle tower.
P. S. There are no poltergeists to be found in our castle, as there are no gruesome stories such as torture etc. from the Middle Ages. The place has always been a peacefull place - so we guarantee a peaceful sleep unless the little tormentors go on a nightly walk or our castle mascot Finsterling makes his spooky rounds👻
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a place behind the castle. Showers and Toilets are in the Castle.
Can possibly accept pets
No problem as long as they behave;)
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Photos
