Schattenburg Castle, Feldkirch

Feldkirch grew up under the Schattenburg, and the castle still sits directly over the medieval street grid, close enough that you look down into the arcaded lanes from the walls. The counts of Montfort built it in the thirteenth century and the town later took it over, which spared it from ruin. Inside, a local museum runs through panelled chambers with Gothic tiled stoves, chests, arms and carved religious figures, and the keep can be climbed for the view over the Ill valley towards the Rhine. Down in the town, the Katzenturm and the arcades of the Marktgasse round out the visit.

Highlights

• The keep - the climb to the top and the view over the roofs towards the Rhine valley.
• The panelled chambers - the museum rooms with Gothic tiled stoves, chests and carved figures.
• The courtyard - the open inner yard, free to enter and used for events through the summer.
• Feldkirch old town below - the arcaded Marktgasse and the Katzenturm at the foot of the hill.

When to go

Spring to autumn for the museum's full hours; it shuts on some weekdays and over parts of the winter, so check first. The climb is short but open to the sun, so mornings suit summer visits. A weekly market fills the square below on Saturday mornings and pairs well with the castle.

Before you go

The museum is modest and mostly labelled in German, so an hour covers it unless you read everything. The castle has been much altered and the interiors feel more town museum than fortress. The walk up is short but steep. Vorarlberg prices for food and parking are noticeably higher than in eastern Austria.

Nearby

Bregenz and Lake Constance are half an hour north; the Rhine valley crossings are minutes away.