Artstetten Castle with Archduke Franz Ferdinand Museum

The name Artstetten was first mentioned in an official document in the mid-13th century. The mediaeval stronghold soon became a castle which had various owners in quick succession until Emperor Franz I acquired it in 1823. Archduke Carl Ludwig (the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph) carried out extensive renovations of the building’s interior and exterior starting in 1861. In 1889, Archduke Carl Ludwig handed over Artstetten Castle to his eldest son, Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este, who had it remodelled as he saw fit. Artstetten Castle has existed as we know it today since 1913: an architecturally charming complex flanked by its seven characteristic towers.