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Lockenhaus Castle today

Austria · Restored

Lockenhaus Castle

Burg Lockenhaus

Burg Lockenhaus is a medieval hilltop castle in Lockenhaus, Burgenland, Austria, built in Romanesque and Gothic phases around 1200 and altered through the 17th century. The complex contains multiple courtyards, a tall square keep, residential ranges and extensive subterranean chambers. It is today a restored cultural venue and part of the Naturpark Geschriebenstein.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1200

Its prime

1670

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1670

What Lockenhaus Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a wooded spur above the town, the castle is an irregular multi-range complex of exposed local stone and white‑washed plastered walls; steep hipped slate roofs cover residential ranges while at least one tall square keep and several smaller polygonal towers rise above the courtyards. Two distinct courtyards lie within the curtain; narrow slit windows and small rectangular openings puncture the walls. The site faces the Güns Valley with the town and a small lake visible to the east.

Its story

The story of Lockenhaus Castle.

Burg Lockenhaus was built around 1200 in Romanesque and Gothic styles in the Güns Valley of Burgenland, and was initially called "Leuca" or Léka. The lords of the castle ran from the Güssinger (1266–1390) to the Kanizsay (1390–1535), the Nádasdy (1535–1676) and the Esterházy (1676–1968); notable owners included Duke Frederick the Warlike, Henry II of Güssing, the Bohemian king Ottakar II and King Maximilian II.

Castle and town saw substantial improvements under Francis III Nadasdy (1622–1671), Lord Lieutenant, Royal Council, Chief Chamberlain and, from 1664, Chief Justice. In 1676 Count Paul Esterhazy, Nadasdy's brother-in-law, took possession. Beneath the castle lies the Nadasdy family sepulchre, built of square stones and vaulted in round arches resting on columns, with a second sepulchre dug deep into solid rock beneath the lord's rooms.

In 1968 Professor Paul Anton Keller and his wife Margaret bought the castle, then in ruins, and sold all their possessions to refurbish it; since 1980 it has belonged to the Professor Paul Anton Keller Foundation. The restored complex, multiple courtyards, a tall square keep and extensive subterranean chambers, is now a cultural venue within the Naturpark Geschriebenstein.

Step inside

11 places to explore in 1670.

The record describes 11 distinct spots at Lockenhaus Castle, including 6 interiors: rittersaal (gothic knights' hall), double‑apsed kultraum (first floor), chapel in a tower with frescoes and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from Castle HillWestern outer wall and rounded wingCentral square keep and adjacent towerUpper courtyard between residential rangesLower courtyard with BurgtaverneRittersaal (Gothic Knights' Hall)Double‑apsed Kultraum (first floor)Chapel in a tower with frescoesDungeon hewn out of the rockTorture chamber and narrowing spiral staircaseNádasdy family sepulchre (subterranean vault)

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Lockenhaus Castle.

A strategy game played on Lockenhaus Castle’s real ground plan: the same surveyed walls shown in the archive below. Post your finite garrison on the battlements between assaults, then hold out as rams, siege towers, trebuchets and sappers arrive in ever-worse waves.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Lockenhaus Castle.

The families that held Lockenhaus Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Güssinger

    Lords of Lockenhaus, 1266–1390.

  • Kanizsay

    Lords of Lockenhaus, 1390–1535.

  • Nádasdy

    Held Lockenhaus 1535–1676; Francis III Nadasdy (1622–1671) substantially improved castle and town, and the family sepulchre lies beneath the castle.

  • Esterházy

    Count Paul Esterhazy, Nadasdy's brother-in-law, took possession in 1676; the family held it until 1968.

From the archive

Lockenhaus Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Quadrat, Ansicht der ungarischen Stadt und Festung Leka (Lockenhaus), Lockenhaus Castle

Quadrat, Ansicht der ungarischen Stadt und Festung Leka (Lockenhaus)

· Deutsche Fotothek (via Europeana)

Public domain

Questions about Lockenhaus Castle

What is the history of Lockenhaus Castle?

Lockenhaus Castle was built around 1200 as a fortress to defend the area against the Mongols. It was initially called “Leuca” or Léka and later passed from the Güssinger and Kanizsay families to the Nádasdy and Esterházy families. After falling into ruin, it was bought and refurbished by Professor Paul Anton Keller and Margaret Keller from 1968; restoration continued under the foundation established in 1980.

What is inside Lockenhaus Castle?

Inside Lockenhaus Castle are the Gothic Rittersaal, the double-apsed Kultraum and a chapel in a tower with fresco fragments from the 13th century. The complex also contains a dungeon hewn from rock, a torture chamber with a narrowing spiral staircase, and the subterranean Nádasdy family sepulchre. The Kultraum is on the first floor, while the sepulchre is built beneath the castle.

Why was Lockenhaus Castle built, and what was it used for?

Lockenhaus Castle was built as a defensive fortress, to protect the area against the Mongols. Its later use included residential and ceremonial spaces, including the Rittersaal, which was originally used for mass eating and drinking. It is now a cultural venue for events, conferences, seminars and meetings, and is part of the Naturpark Geschriebenstein.

Where is Lockenhaus Castle?

Lockenhaus Castle is in the Güns Valley at the southeastern edge of the town of Lockenhaus, in Burgenland. It stands on a hill spur now called Castle Hill, near the Hungarian border towards Kőszeg. A lake lies immediately to the east, and the castle is part of the Naturpark Geschriebenstein.

When was Lockenhaus Castle built?

Lockenhaus Castle was first raised around 1200, in the 12th century. Its construction took place in Romanesque and Gothic phases, with the earliest surviving parts including the keep and the curtain wall of the inner castle. The chapel tower and the two-naved Gothic column hall of the Rittersaal are later elements.

Was Lockenhaus Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Lockenhaus Castle was attacked and damaged several times. It was destroyed in 1337 under Charles I of Hungary, suffered substantial damage during the Turkish War in 1683, and was later looted and damaged during an uprising in the 18th century. The supplied material does not state whether it held or fell in each attack.

Which family or clan held Lockenhaus Castle?

The Güssinger held Lockenhaus Castle from 1266 to 1390, followed by the Kanizsay family from 1390 to 1535. The Nádasdy family held it from 1535 to 1676, and the Esterházy family from 1676 to 1968. Since 1980, the Professor Paul Anton Keller Foundation has belonged to the castle’s history as its foundation owner.

What did Lockenhaus Castle look like in its prime?

Lockenhaus Castle is an irregular complex of exposed local stone and white-washed plastered walls, set on a wooded spur above the town. Residential ranges have steep hipped slate roofs, while a tall square keep and smaller polygonal towers rise above two courtyards. Narrow slit windows and small rectangular openings puncture the walls, facing the Güns Valley and the lake to the east.

Is Lockenhaus Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Lockenhaus Castle is still standing and has been restored. It was in ruins when Professor Paul Anton Keller and Margaret Keller bought it in 1968, and refurbishment continued after his death through the Professor Paul Anton Keller Foundation. The restored complex retains multiple courtyards, residential ranges, a tall square keep and extensive subterranean chambers.

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