Bernstein Castle

Bernstein im Burgenland, Austria, Austria

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Bernstein Castle (German: Burg Bernstein, Hungarian: Borostyánkő vára) is a historic castle in Bernstein im Burgenland, Austria, perched on a rocky outcrop about 615 metres above sea level, high above the Tauchental valley and overlooking the Hungarian plain and southern Styria.

First mentioned in documents from 1199, it is the highest-situated castle in Burgenland and was originally a Hungarian frontier fortress, later passing through the lords of Güssing and enduring several sieges before falling permanently to Hungarian and then Austrian control; in the 16th century a second ring of walls was added, and in the 17th century a magnificent Renaissance ballroom with unique stucco work was created, which now forms the ceremonial heart of the building.

The castle’s most famous resident was László (Ladislaus) Almásy, the pilot and desert explorer whose life inspired the film The English Patient, and the Almásy family has owned the castle since the late 19th century. Today Burg Bernstein operates as a small, family-run hotel with nine individually furnished rooms and suites, and it also functions as a cultural venue offering guided tours (usually Wed–Sun from May to October), concerts, workshops, and events such as weddings, while visitors can see the fortifications, castle garden, chapel, and the Renaissance hall, though the private interior is reserved for hotel guests.