Kottingbrunn is a small town some 40km south of Vienna, just off the Vienna-Graz motorway. The town’s main attraction is its castle, which is located right in the centre. The local name for this (and other castles of its type) is ‘Wasserschloss,’ or ‘Water Palace’—which has a much nicer ring to it than the slightly clumsy English term ‘moated castle’, although that, of course, is precisely what it is.
As you can see from the photos, there is a small footbridge that leads across the moat. The main access route, however, is via the clock tower that sits at the end of another (wider) bridge.
It leads to a small car park and the castle’s back entrance, which is actually the main way in.
For some reason two dog sculptures ‘guard’ the entrance – lions would be more typical.
The castle’s history dates back to the 13th century, but it was much smaller at that time. The building was extended several times until it reached its present size in the 16th century. The clock tower and the associated buildings are later additions. Extensive renovations were carried out some 30 years ago. Today the castle houses the municipal administration and there is also a restaurant. Below is a photo from the inner courtyard.
There was a bit of drizzle when we first arrived, but that stopped soon and we went for a walk exploring the adjacent park. The main path runs along the side of the moat.
We contemplated giving the restaurant a try, but we had noticed that there was a wedding just getting underway and figured that it would probably not be the best time for a quiet cup of coffee and a snack.
There is plenty of free parking in the area and the railway station is just a couple of hundred metres away.
