Story
The story of Vaduz Castle
Look up at the castle above the town: it gave its name to Vaduz, the capital it overlooks, and it is still the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. Its oldest parts are the keep, built in the 12th century, and sections of the eastern side, probably the work of the counts of Werdenberg-Sargans.
The tower stands on a plot of 12 by 13 metres, its walls are up to 4 metres thick at ground level, and its original entrance was on the courtyard side, 11 metres up. In the Swabian War of 1499 the castle was burned by the Swiss Confederacy.
In 1712 the Liechtenstein family bought the countship of Vaduz, and with it the castle; Emperor Charles VI joined it to the Lordship of Schellenberg, bought in 1699, to form the present principality. After a major restoration between 1904 and 1920, the castle has been the princely family's primary residence since 1938. It is not open to the public.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
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More highlights in Liechtenstein
- Liechtenstein National MuseumThe Liechtenstein National Museum is a museum in Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein.
- Vaduz CathedralVaduz Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. Florin (German: St. Florinskirche in Vaduz or Kathedrale St.
- Russian MonumentHinterschellenberg is a settlement in Schellenberg, Liechtenstein.
- Postal MuseumThe Postal Museum is a postal museum in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. It is a branch museum of Liechtenstein National Museum.
- Liechtenstein Treasure ChamberMuseum in the Engländerbau in central Vaduz displaying objects of great material or symbolic value connected with Liechtenstein.
- Government House of LiechtensteinThe Government Building is the seat of the Government of Liechtenstein. It contains the office of the prime minister and the government ministries. It is located in the capital of Vaduz.