Seventeen kilometers from the Austrian capital is the small village of Löbendorf, where the magnificent castle Kreuzenstein is located. The first building on this site was built in the 12th century, like most Austrian fortresses, but over time the masterpiece of architecture was destroyed by the wars. The reconstructed castle faithfully reproduces the original design and delights tourists with its external beauty and grandeur, interior decoration and imperial collections. In Vienna it is worth spending a few hours for trips and excursions. The castle is quite well preserved and offers tourists many fascinating stories.
A short story.
- In the 12th century the castle was built by Formbach, a romantic and refined man by nature: he dreamed of replicating the masterpiece of Neuschwanstein, and it was largely possible.
- 1278 - the castle became the possession of the Habsburgs.
- During the war of 1618-1648 the castle was completely destroyed: only small elements of the foundation remained.
- In the 18th century the object came into the possession of Count Wilczek: in 1974 he ordered the restoration of the castle - the architects used the ancient drawings and fully repeated the original design, adding a little Romanesque style.
- In 1945, the castle was damaged by the war, and many collections were stolen.
Features of the castle
Approaching the castle, tourists in the distance see a magnificent building at a height of 260 meters. Closer - medieval moat, drawbridge and a huge main gate. The moat is connected to the castle by a tunnel, the entrance to which is "protected" by the skeleton of a whale caught during an expedition in 1872.
The yard of the castle is equipped with a well of 60 meters deep, stables, chapel and a tower with a clock and buildings for the servants. There are linden trees, planted personally by Wilczek.
The castle's living quarters are a series of luxurious and fascinating rooms with rich collections:
- The Earl's Hall will surprise you with a wooden bed from 500 years ago: it is small in size, as the knights slept sitting up - they were not supposed to lie down like mere mortals - and next to the bed there is a "dream board" where stories of nightmares were recorded
- The Armory: a collection of knives from antiquity to the Middle Ages.
- The Knight's Hall tells the story of medieval life in the castle
- The Hunting Room: You'll find a collection of weapons and hunting trophies, the main one being the horn of a unicorn (the guide will tell you the strange legend of how it was obtained)
- The castle kitchen with a 7-meter long oak table, the medieval equivalent of a grill, and a spaghetti maker.
The chapel opens to visitors an altar with carved panels, 30 stained glass windows from the 15th century, a baptismal bas-relief from the 8th century and welcomes tourists with huge carved doors. The clock tower retains its 15th century mechanism.
The cost of the ticket is 10 €.
Interesting Facts
- Wilczek's motto can be seen on the clock tower: "Use it or lose it."
- The site is open from April 1 to November 1, not open in winter
- Kreuzenstein attracts film directors - films have been filmed here: "Bloody Baron", "Tom Turbo", "Henker", "Time of the Witches" and others.
