Built from the ruins of a 13th-century medieval castle and tinkered with for 700 years, Artstetten castle gained fame and glory after passing into the hands of the Habsburgs in the early 19th century, winding up in the possession of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Inside is a museum devoted to the luckless heir, displaying photos and stories of his and his Czech wife’s lives at the castle and their fateful trip to Sarajevo where his assassination kicked off WWI.
The pair were buried in the family tomb, the Familiengruft, quite a place of pilgrimage for Habsburg fans. The castle stands around 6km east of Maria Taferl and about the same distance away from the Danube.
