Esterházy Castle

The origins of the palace date back to the 13th century, when a Gothic castle stood on this site, owned by the Gutkeled family. In 1364, the Kanizsay family acquired the castle and significantly expanded it, constructing a city wall around Eisenstadt, including the castle, with royal permission. In 1445, the complex came into the possession of the Habsburgs, who later pledged it. In 1622, the castle came into the possession of the Esterházy family as collateral and was purchased by Ladislaus Esterházy from Emperor Ferdinand III in 1649, thus becoming permanent family property. Under Paul I Esterházy, from 1663, the medieval castle was transformed into a representative Baroque palace according to plans by Carlo Martino Carlone. At the beginning of the 19th century, under Nikolaus II, the palace was redesigned in the Neoclassical style by Charles de Moreau, with the moat being filled in. However, these works remained unfinished due to the financial strain on the family caused by the Napoleonic Wars. After World War II, part of the palace served as the seat of the Burgenland provincial government, and later the province of Burgenland leased parts of the complex until the lease agreement ended in 2009. Today, the palace is managed by the Esterházy Foundations and is continuously renovated.

Esterházy Palace is located in Eisenstadt, the provincial capital of Burgenland in Austria, at an elevation of approximately 201 meters above sea level.

Today, Esterházy Palace serves as a vibrant cultural center. It hosts exhibitions and is known for its Haydnsaal, which is regularly used for concerts, as Joseph Haydn worked here for many years as Kapellmeister. The extensive palace park, once a Baroque garden and later an English landscape park, invites visitors for a stroll.

• City Fortifications of Eisenstadt (City Fortification), approx. 0.3 km away
• Gloriette Palace (Palace), approx. 1.1 km away
• Größhöflein Palace Ruin (Palace), approx. 5.3 km away
• Hornstein Castle Ruin (Castle), approx. 5.8 km away