The village of Hernstein is situated in the foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps, some 25km south-west of Baden. Its main attraction is Schloss Hernstein, a former hunting lodge of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, which borders the village.
The history of the site goes back to the 11th century, when a small castle was built here. Its ruins can be seen on the right of the first photo, on top of the rock behind the building.
The origins of the present-day castle lie in the 1720s. At that time, however, it was much smaller. It was remodelled and greatly expanded when the property came into the possession of Archduke Leopold Ludwig, a grandson of Emperor Leopold II. The work took 28 years and was
finally completed in the 1880s.
The photo below shows the inner courtyard.
Today the castle’s old entrance serves largely as a way in for pedestrians coming from the village – vehicular access is via a new road on the other side of the grounds.
During the 20th century the castle changed hands several times. In the 1960s it became a conference centre for the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. Additional annexes were built in the years thereafter, providing various amenities and further guest rooms. The castle now operates as a hotel.
The focal point of the grounds is an artificial lake, created during the period of Archduke Leopold Ludwig’s ownership. The pumping station feeding the lake is near the pedestrian entrance and nicely camouflaged as an elevated viewing terrace.
Entrance to the grounds is unrestricted and free of charge. You can probably also get a cup of coffee and something to eat here, but during our visit we completely failed to locate any of the hotel staff!
