Thurnstein Castle was first mentioned in 1276 as Thurm Platzleid. In 1282, the castle was enfeoffed to Konrad Milser by Count Meinhard of Tyrol. The southern wing was added to the tower in the 16th century, whereas the northern wing was built in the 18th century.  

The name Thurnstein first appears in 1478. The castle kept changing hands until the turn of the 17th century when it came into the possession of the von Egen family whose descendants still run it as a restaurant today.

In the years after the First World War, some rooms of the castle were transformed into a restaurant. The adjacent farm buildings were turned into a small romantic hotel in 1967. Both the hotel and the restaurant enjoy great popularity, not least because of the magnificent, panoramic location, the cosy atmosphere, the friendly service and the good wine (Napoleon wine). The Restaurant Schloss Thurnstein menu includes both mediterranean delicacies and Tyrolean specialities.