Belvedere Castle Cultural Center

Belvedere Castle is a classic example of Baroque architecture, first mentioned as a manor house called Freysegg. Originally in the 16th century, the property was owned by the family of Count Volkra. In 1672, it passed to a descendant of the Austro-Hungarian family, Count Palffy, and then it was sold to the Albrecht von Albrechtsberg family. According to some reports, members of this family built the Freysegg manor. But the ruins of a stone building, found in its basements, indicate that earlier there had already been a castle, built around the 15th century.

The events of the 18th century cannot be called a success in the history of the magnificent estate. The building and the surrounding areas were sold to the city of Stockerau. In 1882, the Weipert machine factory was built in its once beautiful garden. More than a hundred years later, the factory was demolished, and the city officials decided to restore the majestic castle. Thanks to this right decision in 1983, the walls of this magnificent building can still be seen today.

The castle building has a square layout and three floors, but originally there were only two. The third was completed later together with the replacement of its roof. Above the main entrance is the family coat of arms of the noble Palffy family depicting deer antlers decorated with fruit. The original fittings with a door hammer on the wooden door and the wrought iron baroque grilles have been wonderfully preserved to this day.

Belvedere Castle has been an important cultural center of the city since 1985. Every year it hosts around 60 popular cultural events, which are widely covered by the Austrian press. Educational lectures, concerts and exhibitions by artists are held there. The attic of the building has long been transformed into an art gallery. In 2010, the basement of the building became a museum of local history.