To walk across narrow streets for hours and learn about the history of the Austrian lands, where every pavement stone was a witness of bright events, or go to the vicinity and enjoy the fresh air and fascinating mountain landscape. You can easily do all this in the small town of Feldkirch, which is located in western Austria. However, you should start your acquaintance with its history by visiting the majestic castle of Schattenburg.

The Middle Ages castle, which has been perfectly preserved up to our time, was built on the hill in the XIII century. Its name, which means “protection, shield,” was quite justified as it withstood long sieges many times. Its first owner was the founder of Feldkirch, graph Hugo I von Montfort, who moved his residence here from Bregenz. Even though by the XIV century, the castle had turned into a prosperous administration center of the whole county with strong fortress walls and drawbridges, Hugo I von Montfort sold it to the Austrian duke Leopold III from the great dynasty of Habsburg. He stayed there till the last days of his life, and then all the property switched from one owner to another for several years. This continued till the fall of King Sigismund of Luxembourg at the beginning of the XV century. The castle walls were almost destroyed, but the new owner, graph Friedrich VII von Toggenburg, restored them. During the next years, the boundaries of the castle were expanded and strengthened many times, but by the end of the XVII century, it had started to lose its importance. There was a time when it housed a prison and a place for questioning.

Everything changed in 1912 when a decision was made to turn the castle into a historical and cultural heritage of Feldkirch. Reconstruction works were organized, and in 1953, a local history museum was built on its territory. The museum is open for visitors even today.