Schattenburg

Schattenburg is a medieval hilltop castle overlooking the old town of Feldkirch in Vorarlberg, Austria. It is the town’s dominant landmark and dates back to the high Middle Ages.

The site contains ramparts, a keep and inner courtyards that visitors can walk around. Exhibitions interpret local and regional history and the tower area provides elevated views over the town and the Rhine valley.

The castle was constructed by the regional ruling family in the medieval period and served as a fortified residence and administrative centre. Ownership and use changed over the centuries and the complex now belongs to the town and is maintained as a historic site and museum.

Schattenburg sits immediately above Feldkirch’s old town centre in western Austria, close to the borders with Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The castle is reached on foot from the town centre by short steep paths and streets.

• Museum: The museum presents municipal and regional history collections within the castle buildings.

What to See #

• Keep and battlements: The defensive tower and battlements occupy the highest point of the site and provide a compact sequence of rooms and walls that date to the medieval period; the tower offers views over Feldkirch and the surrounding Rhine valley.
• Schattenburg Museum: A municipal museum housed in the castle presents local history and artefacts from Feldkirch and the surrounding region, with exhibition rooms arranged in the former castle buildings.