Liechtenstein Castle
The twelfth-century seat that gave the princely family and the principality their name, on a rock above Mödling.
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Burg Liechtenstein stands on a limestone rock at the edge of the Vienna Woods above Mödling, built around 1130, and it is the origin of a name that ended up on a country: the family who took their surname from this castle later acquired territories in the Alps that were combined in 1719 into the principality of Liechtenstein, which they still rule, and which they had not visited for well over a century when they finally moved there in 1938. The castle was destroyed by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683 and stood ruined until Prince Johann II rebuilt it in the 1870s and 1880s in romantic style. The surrounding Naturpark Föhrenberge has the Black Tower folly and the ruins of Mödling castle, and the whole area is a Vienna walking ground.
What you actually see
- The origin of a country's name - the twelfth-century seat of the Liechtenstein family.
- A romantic rebuilding - the 1880s reconstruction of a twice-ruined castle.
- A rock above the Wienerwald - the position at the edge of the Vienna Woods.
- The surrounding nature park - the Black Tower and Mödling castle ruins nearby.
When to go
April to October; the castle closes over winter. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Interior access is by guided tour on set days, mostly at weekends in season. It is a short but steep walk up from parking. Events and weddings close it at times.
Nearby
Mödling and the Vienna Woods are alongside; Vienna is half an hour north.
What to pack for Liechtenstein Castle
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
