Heidenreichstein Castle

Heidenreichstein, Austria

The colossal Heidenreichstein castle situated in the moorlands to the northwest of the Waldviertel is the largest and best preserved medieval water castle in Lower Austria. The oldest parts of the castle are dated back to the 12th century. It has never been in enemy hands since its construction. The walls of the four wings, the three corner turrets and the keep are up to four metres thick. A guided tour through the three-storey living apartments with spiral staircase and arcades discloses highly remarkable interior fittings including Gothic furniture, articles of daily life and portrait paintings.

Address

Schremser Straße 1, Heidenreichstein, Austria

See all sites in Heidenreichstein

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Austria

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

BariczzsoltOfficial (13 months ago)
It’s an amazing historical building ! And we got a private tour during some renovation, but definitely I’d love to come back on spring & summer in a good weather

Hariharan B (2 years ago)
One of the beautiful castle to be visited. It has a good scenic aswell all around.

Miriam (ageekmaybe) (4 years ago)
Unfortunately I was too late for the last tour, but the castle looks really well kept from the outside and I will for sure try to go again to have a look inside ☺️

Andras F (4 years ago)
Fans of medieval castles will love Burg Heidenreichstein. The guided tour is very informative and you learn how life was on the castle many hundreds of years ago.

L Fillipe (5 years ago)
This is one of the hidden jems arond the castles in Austria. Especially magnificent scenery during autumn and spring.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

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Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.