Kreuzenstein Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Perched on a wooded hill above Leobendorf, north-west of Vienna, Kreuzenstein looks like an idealised medieval fortress, with its towers, wall walks, chapel and interlocking courtyards. It is in fact a late nineteenth-century reconstruction: Count Johann Nepomuk Wilczek, polar explorer and avid collector, rebuilt the ruins of a fortress destroyed during the Thirty Years' War to serve as a setting for his collections. He incorporated authentic elements — portals, panelling, stained glass, furniture, weapons — acquired from across Europe, creating a unique ensemble in which genuine medieval pieces and historicist architecture blend together. Still owned by the Wilczek family, the castle is open to visitors during the season and regularly serves as a filming location and venue for events.