Hardegg Castle, Hardegg, Austria

Hardegg Castle was first mentioned in an 1145 deed, it was acquired by the Counts of Plain about 1187. Hardegg itself is first documented as a town in 1290. Located on the border with the Kingdom of Bohemia, the area was devastated during the Hussite Wars in 1425. In 1483 Hardegg was bequeathed to the Habsburg archdukes of Austria.

Emperor Maximilian I granted Hardegg to his ministeriales of the Prueschenk noble family and elevated them to immediate Counts of Hardegg in 1499. Two years later Count Ulrich purchased the Bohemian County of Kladsko from the Dukes of Münsterberg. From the Thirty Years' War onwards the castle decayed, until it was acquired by the Khevenhüller dynasty and rebuilt in the late 19th century according to plans designed by Carl Gangolf Kayser.

After World War II until the fall of the Iron Curtain, Hardegg was particularly isolated. The only connection to the Czech Republic is via a bridge built in 1874 across the Thaya to the neighbouring village of Čížov.

User Reviews

Ken Taylor (KangaAir) (4 years ago)
Only a 1.5 hr easy drive from Vienna, I highly recommend visiting this region to view the castles historys. A visit in Autumn will reward visitors with the remarkable colours of nature and delicious Austrian white wine.

Sebastian (5 years ago)
Very cozy castle, strategically placed with a good view of the surroundings and right next to a river, so easy to defend. Beautiful birds like to fly around, so make sure not to miss them. Nearby, on the other side of the border, there are the remains of the Iron Gate.

P Z' (5 years ago)
Beautiful landscape and breathtaking scenery with medieval fortress up the river valley of Thaya.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

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