ARTSTETTEN CASTLE
Artstetten Castle stands high above the Danube, at the
gateway to Austria’s Wachau region, not far from the town of Melk.
Flanked by an enchanting park, it provides a fairytale backdrop against which
the eventful and fateful events of Austrian and European history
have played out.
The visitor learns about the
often narrow line between happiness and sorrow, between life and death, stepping
into the multi-facetted world of a political thinker, reformer, collector and,
above all, family patriarch, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Artstetten Castle looks back on a
history filled with change. It served as the
family seat and summer residence of the imperial family, it
became the last resting place of Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand
and his spouse, Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg, who both fell
victim in 1914 to a fanatical youth on the streets of
Sarajevo.
This architecturally attractive building, whose existence was first documented in
the 13th century, was remodelled several times over the centuries,
until finally achieving its current form: a square central building, flanked
by seven distinctive towers.
The permanent exhibition,
“For Heart and Crown", gives us insights into the
multi-facetted world of Franz Ferdinand and his family.
But the visitor will also find opportunities here for
recreation and amusement –on the magnificent terrace with views of the broad
parklands, for example, or in the museum shop with its colorful selection of
items.
:: Link: Schloß
Arstetten
