Burg Heidenreichstein
Description
Half surrounded by water, Heidenreichstein Castle rises into the sky to the north-east of Gmünd: as Austria's largest medieval moated castle, it transports you to a world from another time via two drawbridges.
Heidenreichstein Castle is known as the most beautiful moated castle in Austria. Its special feature: it has never been destroyed in its centuries-long history. Its origins date back to around 1160 with the construction of the keep. Heidenreichstein - as well as Raabs and Litschau - was referred to as a "manor" as early as the mid-14th century, granting the lordship jurisdiction and bailiwick and subsequently the rights to fish, hunt, game and mill. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the castles generally began to fall into disrepair and many were taken over by ecclesiastical lords or abandoned because they seemed too inconvenient or too expensive to live in - the moated castle also changed hands several times. In 1679, Maria Marchese degli Obizzi, née Countess Palffy, took over the estate. She decrees that Heidenreichstein is to become an indivisible family property, and the ownership of the castle is transferred to Count Rudolf van der Straten-Ponthoz through a legacy of friendship. After his death, his second-born daughter Josefine - married to Christian Count Kinsky von Vchinic and Tettau - inherits the castle and the estate. The moated castle is still the permanent residence and administrative seat of the Kinsky family - today it consists of forestry, pond management, hunting, agricultural land and a castle museum.
Even today, the moated castle is entered via two drawbridges. The four wings, the three corner towers and the keep have walls up to four meters thick and the three-storey residential wing with spiral staircases and arcades reflect the different eras.In addition to a classic castle tour, there are also special tours through the secret passages within the thick walls up to the attic.
Details of the guided tours and the exact opening times, including during public holidays, can be found here: Guided tours of Heidenreichstein Castle
