Güssing Castle is enthroned on a steep porphyry cone in the Strem valley near Güssing in Burgenland. With its construction in 1157, it is the oldest castle complex in Burgenland and a striking landmark in the region.
The castle is run by the foundation of Weiland Prince Philipp Batthyány-Strattmann. Its curator is the respective head of the family - currently the 10th Prince, Ladislaus Edmund Batthyány-Strattmann, who runs the foundation with the administrator of the Province of Burgenland.
20 rooms of the stronghold are now home to a castle museum with around 5000 exhibits. You can see, among others. the ancestral gallery and the family museum of the Batthyány family, old weapons, sculptures and handicrafts as well as paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including two portraits by the hand of Lucas Cranach the Elder.
A very special attraction is the ascent to the walkable bell tower, from which a panoramic view of the Pannonian lowlands is possible.
Theater performances, concerts and readings are often held on the castle grounds. Some rooms can also be rented for private events.
An event was also taking place there during my visit, so I couldn't see the castle right into the inner courtyards.