Wilfersdorf Castle is located in the
Weinviertel
The (; ) or ; "Area below the " is located in the northeast of Lower Austria.
In the east, the borders Slovakia at the March River. In the south, it borders and , its limits being the Wagram, the Danube and the . Its western neighbor is ...
(wine district) in the town of
Wilfersdorf, in the
Mistelbach district. The castle and its estate have been continuously owned by the
Liechtenstein family since 1436. It always served as a summer and hunting seat of the reigning princes. Today it also houses a cultural and exhibition centre as well as the property management offices of the princely estates in Weinviertel. It is renowned for its princely cellars. A well-known
white wine
White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without undergoing the process of Maceration (wine), maceration, which involves prolonged contact between the juice with the grape skins, seeds, and pulp. The wine color, colou ...
is produced here on 38.5 hectares (95 acres) of vineyards.
History
Around 1600,
Gundakar of Liechtenstein had to rebuild a pre-existing Gothic castle as a four-winged water chateau. Around 1802,
Prince Alois I of Liechtenstein had the northern, southern and eastern wings removed. The remainder of the castle was ravaged by the French in 1809 and in 1866 the
Prussians established a field hospital there. At the end of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the castle suffered significant damage. Repairs were conducted over a period of many years. Between 2001 and 2002, existing buildings were restored.
Today
The main building is now a cultural and
exhibition centre
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
. A multipurpose social hall on the ground floor provides space for seminars, presentations and small conferences. A large collection of documentation on the history of the Liechtenstein family is also displayed on this floor. The castle cellar can be found in the basement.
The Wilfersdorf National History Museum is located in the adjoining building.
See also
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Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape
The Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape (also Lednice–Valtice Area or Lednice–Valtice Complex, ) is a cultural-natural landscape complex of in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It comprises the municipalities of Lednice, Valt ...
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Liechtenstein Castle (Maria Enzersdorf)
Liechtenstein Castle () is a castle near Maria Enzersdorf in Lower Austria, bordering Vienna. It is on the edge of the ''Vienna Woods, Wienerwald'' (Vienna Woods). Liechtenstein (German for "bright stone") Castle is the eponymous ancestral se ...
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Schloss Liechtenstein (Maria Enzersdorf)
The Liechtenstein Palace () is a neoclassical palace near Maria Enzersdorf (and Mödling) in Lower Austria, bordering Vienna. It is on the edge of the ''Vienna Woods'' (). It stands opposite south of Liechtenstein Castle, the ancestral seat ...
* ''
Stadtpalais Liechtenstein'' and
Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna, Austria
*
Vaduz Castle
Vaduz Castle (German language, German: ''Schloss Vaduz'') is the palace and official residence of the Monarchy of Liechtenstein, Prince of Liechtenstein. The castle gave its name to the town of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, which it overlo ...
in Liechtenstein – the official residence of the
Princely Family of Liechtenstein
The House of Liechtenstein (), from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty ...
External links
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{{Authority control
House of Liechtenstein
Castles in Lower Austria