If you have been to Vienna or are soon to pay the Austrian capital a visit, you are probably familiar with the splendid palaces of the Habsburgs- Schönbrunn and the Viennese Hofburg. These two attract the vast majority of tourists as the ultimate must-see historic landmarks in the city. But did you know that in the outskirts of Vienna there are marvelous medieval style castles? These off-the-beaten-track locations take a bit longer to reach but have the benefit of being less touristy and offering a fascinating glimpse of times long gone. Remember the names Kreuzenstein and the castle park of Laxenburg, in particular Franzensburg, as I am sure you’d want to see them for yourself after you are done reading this.
Fake Castles? The expensive hobby of the 19th century aristocrats
With Kreuzenstein being constructed in its current form between 1874 and 1906 and Franzensburg built between 1801 and 1836, those are not exactly medieval castles. As we all know, the Middle Ages ended somewhere around 1450, giving way to the Renaissance, followed by the Reformation and the Enlightenment. From 1750 forward we are already talking about the Modern Era. So why is it that 2,5 centuries and a few historic periods after the Middle Ages there are two “medieval” castles built around Vienna? There was simply a trend for constructing such buildings in this period. Nowadays billionaires collect custom-made cars, buy private jets, private islands and built luxury resorts and shopping malls. Men of their standing back in the 19th century, who grew up with tales of fair ladies and noble knights, had a weak spot for medieval castles, so it was fashionable among them to build such fairytale castles, inspired by the Middle Ages. The most famous representative of this fashion is Neuschwanstein, located in Bavaria, Germany, which I am sure you have heard about.
Still, with more than a century separating us from the newer of those two buildings, we can still call them historical and fortunately, they are maintained in a good shape, so the public can access them and learn a thing or two about everyday life in the Middle Ages. And if you are someone who only sees value in authenticity, worry not. Despite the buildings being relatively new, they are furnished with actual medieval artifacts, wood carvings, doors, window frames, carved ceilings, tapestries, armory and other pieces collected from different parts of what used to be the Austro- Hungarian Empire and other parts of Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Germany). Their creators bought parts of real medieval castles and incorporated them into the construction.
Kreuzenstein
Getting There, Opening Times and Visits
If you are going to Burg Kreuzenstein by public transport, you need to take lines S3 or S4 and take off at station Leobendorf- Burg Kreuzenstein Bahnhof. From the station to the entrance of the castle you have 30-35min of walking. It is a pleasant walk and around halfway through you start going uphill, but it is not a challenging hike. In any case, pack a bottle of water and wear comfortable shoes. If you are going by car, there is a parking lot right beneath the castle.
Keep in mind that the castle is not open all-year-round and in normally accepts visitors between 1 April and 1 November every year. It is possible that opening times vary, so it is best to check the schedule on the official website here. If you are a group of at least 15 people, it is possible to schedule a visit outside the normal working hours. The castle is normally open between 10 and 16h daily (even on holidays) and can only happen with guided tours. The tours take place every hour, starting at 10 AM and take about 45- 50min. Bring cash as the tickets can only be purchased at the spot and card payments are not possible.
Tours normally take place in German, but depending on the participants, could also be in English. Additionally, there are info sheets with translations in different languages available for those who are not fluent in neither German, nor English.
Taking photos inside the historic rooms is not allowed, but you can take plenty of photos in the inner court and from the outside. The tour starts from the kitchen, through the armory and then continues in the living quarters.
The History
There was in fact a medieval castle on the premises, which dates back from the 12th century. It was built by the counts of Vornbach, Bavaria. Through some diplomatic marriages, the owners of the castle changed a couple of times until in 1278 the castle came into the possession of the Habsburgs and later of the family Wilczek. In 1645 during the last year of the 30 Years War, the weakened imperial army handed over the castle to the Swedish army without a fight. The Swedes turned the castle into their temporary base, but soon abandoned it when pushed away by the imperial troops. During their retreat, the Swedes blasted and destroyed the castle, with only some parts of the chapel and the eastern tower remaining intact. It wasn’t until 1874 when count Johann Nepomuk Wilczek began rebuilding the castle.
Count Wilczek was a prominent figure for his time and was known for his expeditions to the North Pole, his love for art and culture and his patronage of various scientific and charitable initiatives. His family had made a fortune out of their coal mines in Silesia, which count Nepomuk Wilczek used for financing his extravagant project Kreuzenstein. The count was a dreamer, but a pragmatic one. He presented Kreuzenstein as a theme park and from the very beginning demanded an entrance fee. The castle became a true sensation and even attracted some prominent visitors such as the American President Theodor Roosevelt and the last German Emperor, Wilhelm II. The latter and count Wilczek were friends, and the count was exchanging ideas with the emperor on the renovation process of Kreuzenstein. In fact, one of the first rooms you’d visit in the castle is the drinking room where the two were sitting and discussing their visions.
What to Expect from your Visit
The tour is rather pleasant and informative. You’d learn about the history of the building, see some everyday objects from the medieval ages and find out how they were used. Count Wilczek’s collection of artifacts includes also some objects from his North Pole expeditions, the biggest private knights armour and weaponry collection in Europe, a dresser with wooden carvings, created by a single monk who worked on it for 15 years and a rather amusing “unicorn” trophy. The tour guide, especially during the German tour, explains the origins of some phraseological expressions that stem from medieval tools. From the kitchen, through the armory, to the bedroom with “en-suite” restroom, you’d dive into a fairytale of the old times. The visit is equally worth it for people of all ages and even the youngest would find it entertaining. Keep in mind that inside the thick castle walls it tends to get rather chilli and the tour lasts for about 1h. So, it’s a good idea to bring an overcoat, especially if you are visiting during the summer months.
Franzensburg
A Museum of the Habsburgs
And if Kreuzenstein is a Medieval themed park, Franzensburg is a medieval- style museum of the Habsburgs, created by one of them- emperor Franz I, between 1801 and 1836. The castle is named after its creator- Franz I. If you look at the timeline of the Habsburg dynasty, he lived right in the middle between two of the most prominent Habsburgs- Maria Theresia, the only woman to be an empress of the Holy Roman Empire in her own right, and emperor Franz Joseph I, during whose reign the Austrian Empire was transformed into the Austro- Hungarian Empire and whom you would probably recognize as the husband of Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sissi).
Franz I was the first Emperor of Austria and under the name Franz II (or Francis II) also served as the last Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
If the name Franzensburg does not ring a bell, chances are you might at least have heard of Laxenburg. Franzensburg is one of the three palaces, situated in the Laxenburg castle park and the only one constantly open for visitors. The Old Palace, which is close to the park’s main entrance, was where empress Sissi gave birth to her children- Rudolf, the anticipated heir of the throne, and Gisela. The park also features a lake with rental boats and a ferry, a pitch for knights’ , a café and quite a lot of fairs and events throughout the year. Normally, starting from November, this is also where the Viennese Illumina lights and music experience takes place.
Getting There, Opening Times and Visits
The palace park can be reached with public transportation, by taking trains S3 or S4 (from Praterstern, Wien Mitte, Central Station) to station Mödling and from there, switching to bus line 215 (till Laxenburg, Eduard- Hartmann- Platz). From the bus stop it’s another 8min walking throughout the park.
The Laxenburg palace park itself has an entrance fee of 3,50€ per day. Discounts apply to children up to the age of 16. The Franzensburg palace can only be visited with guided tours and there are two types of tours- one of the historic rooms and one of the tower and rooftops. We did both of them on the same day one with a lunch break in- between in the palace café. Each of them costs 11€ per adult. In my opinion both were worth it, but in case you are short in time or money, I’d suggest joining the tour of the historic rooms and maybe come back some other time for the rooftops. We also took the short ferry ride to cross the river and enter the inner court. It costed 0,80€ per person and was rather fun, as it lasted for less than a minute. If you prefer to skip the ferry, there is a way around, as there is a bridge on the backside of the palace and you’d need about 15min walking to reach it. All tickets, except the one for the ferry can be paid by card. In case of updates of the ticket prices, it is best to also check the official website here.
Although the castle park is open all-year-round, Franzensburg welcomes guests only from Easter till 1st November. The tours of the palace itself take place daily at 11, 12, 14 and 15h, while for the tower and rooftops, there are two tours at 13 and 16h. We did the tour of the palace at 14 and the rooftops at 16h without booking in advance.
Each tour takes about 1h and is held in German, but there is also audio guide available in different languages. You’d just need to move along with the group.
What to Expect from your Visit
I honestly enjoyed every bit of the tour and the interpretation through the 19th century mind of the Medieval era that the palace itself represents. You’d learn some basic history and family connections of the Habsburg dynasty- one of Europe’s greatest royal families. It is also interesting to see how the roles of noble men and women in society are represented through some interesting furnishing and architectural decisions. While the men have at their disposal an armory, a knight’s pitch, beautifully decorated cabinets and audience rooms, the female ward for the lady of the palace deliberately imitates a tower with no windows other than a small opening on the ceiling for some daylight. This is inspired from old fairytales, just like Rapunzel, in which the princess waits in the tower to be saved by her prince. And in this “tower” she has her bed, a dressing room and an area, where she could sit with the court ladies and devote her time to rather feminine crafts like cross-stitching or knitting.
Emperor Franz I was a passionate collector of art pieces, artifacts and other different curiosities, which were masterfully implemented in the palace. He was a cosmopolitan man and passionate about botanicas, which can easily be recognized when visiting Laxenburg. He grew up in Tuscany, Italy, one of 15 children, but already at the age of 16 was sent to the Imperial Court of Vienna to be educated as the next emperor. Apart from the usual studies of a future head of state, he had to also choose a craft or profession to study. He picked botany and gardening, which became a passion of him. He commissioned the castle park around Laxenburg to be modeled after the old German gardens with lakes. He married one of his daughters to the Brazilian monarch and as a gift from this union, the first palm trees were brought to Vienna and a palm house was built in the city center. Another gift was also a Native American bed, which is exhibited in Franzensburg. It’s quite astonishing what visionary, money and power could bring together back in the 19th century.
Would you pay Kreuzenstein and Franzensburg a visit? You sure won’t be disappointed- after all those two represent fascinating history of the history itself.
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