Saturday 25 January 2020

Burg Gutenberg


Burg Gutenberg, in the town of Balzers in Liechtenstein, is one of only two surviving castles in the principality. These days it is a museum open to the public, rather than a princely private residence. It sits on a hill in the middle of town.

Burg Gutenberg, Liechtenstein. Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.

The hill has been occupied since prehistoric times, but the castle only appeared in the 13th century. The castle itself began life as a church with a cemetery, but over time the church became fortified and the cemetery disappeared. By the 14th century it was in the hands of the Habsburgs and used to guard their territory against the nearby Swiss independent cantons.

Burg Gutenberg, in Balzers, Liechtenstein. Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.

Maximilian I gave it an overhaul after the Swabian War in 1499, but by the middle of the 17th century it was just a princely residence with no military function. It suffered a number of fires and building materials were salvaged by the townsfolk and used throughout the town. Finally, in the 19th century it was purchased by Princess Franziska von Liechtenstein.

Burg Gutenberg, Liechtenstein. Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.

Early in the 20th century it was acquired by a well regarded local architect who restored and enhanced the complex. After his death the town used the castle as an events venue and eventually as a museum. 

We stopped off to photograph it on our way to Switzerland, when we deliberately drove out of our way to take in Liechtenstein on our route.
 
************************************************

For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

2 comments:

Katie Zeller said...

Sadly, the only time we have been in Lichtenstein was when we took a wrong turn on the way to Switzerland. We plan on going back some day..... Love place.

Susan said...

Yes, it would be easy to end up there by accident.

Post a Comment