Castle Marchegg

Cultural gem & natural paradise

Stork town, as Marchegg is fondly described, was originally set up as a border bastion against Hungary. The castle was designed as a moated castle and part of the town fortifications. After 400 years had gone by, the moat was filled in, the corner bastion removed and the caste was converted to a Baroque castle. From that time on Castle was used for two centuries by the Hungarian princely family, the Pálffys, predominantly as a hunting lodge and summer residence.

Venue for the Lower Austrian State Festival 2022

From 26th March to 13th November 2022 Castle Marchegg is the main venue for the 41st Lower Austrian State Festival. Under the title, 'MARCHFELD Secrets – People. Culture. Nature', visitors are presented with inspiring new discoveries about the region. Always to the fore in the exhibition is the close link between people and nature in the course of history. This big event was used as an opportunity to carry out a total restoration of the castle. Today this Baroque castle exudes renewed splendour and provides barrier-free access. A warm grey shade was chosen as the colour for the facade, the very colour of the last facade structure from 1840. To fill this historic building with life after the Lower Austrian State Festival too, the local authority, 'Haus der österreichischen-slowakischen Marchregion', Marchfeld regional office, the tourist information office, Storchenhaus, WWF and an exhibition will move into the castle.

Excursion tip for nature lovers

Surrounded by an idyllic castle park, Castle Marchegg nestles amid a unique natural landscape. At one time it was hunting grounds which extended around the castle, in the meantime for almost 50 years they have been designated a conservation area; the 'Untere Marchauen' area, as well as providing a habitat for Konik horses living in the wild, are also home to Central Europe's biggest tree-breeding white stork colony. As an information centre for nature tourism, the Storchenhaus regularly offers guided tours which provide an insight into the life of the storks and the riparian meadows.

Tip: State-of-the-art E-Bikes are also available to hire at Storchenhaus, so you can explore the entire region with electric assistance.