Possenhofen Castle

Today Possenhofen Castle is best known as being the childhoodhome of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, née Duchess in Bavaria but it's History is much older. The Castle was build in 1536 for Jakob Rosenbusch who was Cancellor under Duke Ludwig of Bavaria. In 1600m the Castle came in the posession of the Hans Caspar von Horwarth. In the 30year long War the Castle was destroyed but rebuil by von Horwarth. After the died the Castle was bought by Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria. It then changed his ownership a few times until it ended in the posession of the Counts of la Rosée. 1834 it was then acquired by Duke Maximilian in Bavaria the father of the Empress. It remained in the posession of the Ducal Family until 1940. After that it had different destination. In 1981 the Castle was bought by Prof. Franz Schilke who restored it to it's former Glory. As the Castle is owned prvat it can not be visited but one can walke around an has a good view on it.

Laxenburg

Laxenburg is a little village outside of Vienna which was used by the Austiran Imperial Family as Summer Residence. This traditiion was started with Emperor Karl VI. and continued by his daughter Maria Theresia. It was here where Emperor Franz Josef I. and Empresess Elisabeth (Sisi) spend their honeymoon and two of their children where born there. Also their only son Crown Prince Rudolf and his wife Stephanie spend their honeymoon there and their daughter Elisabeth was born at Laxenburg. The Castle Park who orignally was a big hunting Area is dating back to the 13th Century as is the old Castle. It orignally belonged to the Lords of Lachsenburg and is the died without male heirs it later cam into the posession of the Habsburgs. T

The parish Church of Laxenburg



Statue of Emperor Franz Josef I.

The Blue Court (Blauer Hof) from the Castle Place


The Gardenside of the Blue Court (Blauer Hof)



Entrance to the Castle Park










The Old Castle







The Emperor Franz Statue

The Franzensburg

The Knights Vault (Rittergruft)

The Knights Columne (Rittersäule)

Château de Beloeil

When i was i Brussels in Summer 2008 i also made an Visit to Beloeil where i visited the Château the Residence of the Princely Family of Ligne. They have many connections to the Euopean Royal houses as the present Prince is married to HI & RH Princess Eleonore of Brazil and his mother Alixis a born Princess of Luxemburg, sister of the former Grand Duke Jean. And an aunt of the present Prince, Princess Yolanda was married to the late Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria, one of the sons of the last Emperor of Austria Karl I.
The Château was erected during the 15th Century when the Family de Ligne made it's definitive move to Beloeil. It hten evolved from a monison to a frotress and finally to a Country House. A fire in 1900 destroyed the Château but not the 2 Side Wings before the Courtyard. The Château was then rebuild in 1906. The French-style Gardens go back to the 17th Century.

View from the Castle on the Lake
and the Neptun Fountain

The mirrors

The ladies pond

The Neptune's statue