The focus of this special tour is on the transformation of the castle between the 14th and 21st centuries. Architecture and building history are just as much a topic as the significant personalities who shaped this change. In the princely family history, a total of twelve major lords influenced not only as magnates and diplomats but also as patrons and art lovers, the court life of the European aristocracy. They significantly shaped the careers of renowned artists and musicians, including that of court conductor Joseph Haydn. Schloss Esterházy, which came into the possession of the family nearly 400 years ago as a medieval castle through the Hungarian Palatine Nikolaus Esterházy de Galantha, has been continually enlarged and remodeled over time. Paul I. Esterházy expanded the castle in the Baroque style. During this construction period, the impressive "Great Hall" with its opulent frescoes was also created, which is now known worldwide as the "Haydnsaal" and is considered one of the most impressive concert halls in the world due to its outstanding acoustics. Around 1800, under Nikolaus II. Esterházy, the castle underwent a renovation in the neoclassical style, which can especially be admired from the current backside of the castle. At the beginning of the 19th century, the garden was also redesigned into an English landscape garden and was to become a showcase of European garden art.
Duration: 60 min.