Burg Kranichberg is a castle situated on a hilltop approximately five kilometres southeast of Gloggnitz in the Neunkirchen district of Lower Austria, positioned in the market town of Kirchberg am Wechsel. The fortress likely dates to the early 13th century and features a three-story structure with an approximately square floor plan crowned by a five-story keep. An extensive forecourt surrounds the castle complex, through which the historic road from Gloggnitz to Kirchberg passes. The castle experienced significant historical transitions, serving Hungarian King Mattia Corvino in 1480 and later the Archdiocese of Vienna after 1769. A devastating fire in 1745 destroyed much of the original complex, prompting Anton Franz Adam Graf von Lamberg to undertake substantial baroque-style reconstruction. Despite wartime use during World War II, the castle survives as a testament to regional medieval and baroque architecture.
