Bernstein Castle has protected the local population from enemy armies for centuries. Now it serves its purpose by acting as a fortress against stress and the rush of the modern age. Built on solid rock, Bernstein's castle majestically dominates the Great Hungarian Plain and southern Styria. Each room has been passionately renovated in collaboration with the Federal Monument Authority to preserve the original atmosphere.
Burg Bernstein History
Here at Bernstein Castle you can relive the luxurious lifestyle of the past. Every piece of furniture has its own story. Unlike standardized hotels, it offers the opportunity to experience the authentic charm of the past and enjoy peace and relaxation well beyond the common tourist routes.
Nine different rooms are available, each with its own feeling and is decorated with original 18th and 19th century furniture. Naturally, the most modern comforts and modern technologies have been integrated in the rooms, for example: electric light, wifi in the tea room, hot water in the bathrooms and updated mattresses. But there is no TV, telephone, internet or minibar in the hotel rooms, because it is firmly believed that these elements would destroy the authentic atmosphere of the place.
In the year 860 the entire area was owned by the Archbishop of Salzburg but with the succession of the centuries various owners alternated, including Duke Frederick II of Austria, Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, the Batthyany family and the Irish one of the O'Egan.
In 1921, after the First World War, western Hungary was again annexed to Austria, forming Burgenland, the most recent state of the Republic of Austria, until 1953, when some parts of the castle were used as hotels.
Gastronomy at the Bernstein castle has a very long tradition. Fragments of cooking devices found in the garden date back to the Middle Ages. There is also an 18th century stove for baking bread, still in use today. The rest of the kitchen was established in the 1920s, all prepared with wood from the surrounding forest.
In the afternoon we offer bed and breakfast and homemade cakes and coffee. Dinner is served in the Baroque knights' hall, lit only by dozens of candles in the evening
After the danger of Turkish attacks had vanished in the seventeenth century, parts of the fortress were transformed into a garden that is one of the oldest in the province of Burgenland.
It took two years of constant planning and learning to arrange the flowerbeds as they are today and to find the best place for each plant. From every point of the garden you can enjoy fantastic views as far as Slovenia and the Carinthian mountains.
In Burg Bernstein, weddings have a long tradition. Not only big celebrations are organized in the castle, but we make a wonderful place available to all those who want to host a special occasion.
There is a small chapel for ceremonies inside and many characteristic corners in the wonderful garden. The oratory is suitable for the civil ceremony, the same goes for the inner courtyard and the reception. Dinner is traditionally served in the knights' hall, lit only by candles. This unique atmosphere allows you to experience the luxuries of a time long gone.