Feldkirch sightseeing: how to plan the old town and castle hill
Feldkirch's sights stack in layers: a hilltop castle directly above the medieval core, a handful of churches and a palace squeezed into the lanes below, and a free wildlife park up in the woods on the Ardetzenberg. Most of the old-town stops are short, and several cost nothing, so a day fills quickly without much spending.
Start with the Schattenburg, the anchor of any visit. Its museum sits in medieval rooms, and the Gothic Room and the keep are worth most of the 60 to 90 minutes you will spend there. Groups must register before arriving, so sort that out first if you are traveling together.
Then work downhill through the old town. Dom St. Nikolaus, the Johanniterkirche on Marktgasse and the Palais Liechtenstein on Schlossergasse all sit within a short walk, and each takes half an hour or less. The Katzenturm at Sparkassenplatz and the Wasserturm above the Ill are street-level views of the old fortifications, glimpsed in minutes rather than toured.
Leave the longest stretch for the Wildpark, where 160-plus animals, a forest playground and a grill area suit families for two to three hours.
| Place | Time to allow | Cost | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schattenburg Castle in Feldkirch | 60-90 minutes | Paid entry | Burggasse 1, above the old town |
| Wildpark Feldkirch | 2-3 hours | free entry; donations welcome at entrance | Ardetzenberg |
| Feldkirch Cathedral (Dom St. Nikolaus) | about 30 minutes | – | Old town, near Marktgasse |
| Johanniterkirche Feldkirch | 30-45 minutes | free entry for the 2026 exhibition | Marktgasse, old town |
| Palais Liechtenstein Feldkirch | 15-30 minutes | no ticket needed; a stop costs only your time | Schlossergasse 8, pedestrian old town |
| Katzenturm Feldkirch | a few minutes | – | Sparkassenplatz, Altstadt |
| Wasserturm Feldkirch | a few minutes | no ticket to buy | Montfortgasse 17, above the Ill |
| Kapuzinerkloster Feldkirch | 20-30 minutes | no ticket desk | Bahnhofstraße 4 |
Feldkirch attraction guides
Schattenburg Castle in Feldkirch: What to See Inside the Museum
A hilltop castle directly above Feldkirch's old town, with a museum in its medieval rooms. Give the Gothic Room and the keep most of your hour or ninety minutes, and note that groups must register their visit before arriving.
60-90 minutes · Paid entry · Booking required · Best for local history and medieval architecture
Wildpark Feldkirch: Free Wildlife Park Above the Town
A nonprofit wildlife park in the woods above town, free to enter and open daily, with 160-plus animals from 26 species, a forest playground and a grill area. Drivers pay for hill parking that does not benefit the animals.
2-3 hours · free entry; donations welcome at entrance · Book ahead · Best for families with children
Feldkirch Cathedral (Dom St. Nikolaus): A Visitor's Guide
Dom St. Nikolaus is Feldkirch's late Gothic cathedral, an active parish near Marktgasse in the medieval core. Visit quietly for the interior and surrounding lanes, but confirm opening times first, since worship takes priority over sightseeing.
about 30 minutes · Best for old-town walkers and quiet visitors
Johanniterkirche Feldkirch: Contemporary Art in an Old Church
A former church on Marktgasse now given over to contemporary art, where one artist fills the nave, floor and rear sacristy. Budget half an hour, walk to the back room, and confirm the current show and hours before setting out.
30-45 minutes · free entry for the 2026 exhibition · Best for art lovers on an old-town walk
Palais Liechtenstein Feldkirch: Visiting the Schlossergasse Palace
This baroque townhouse on Schlossergasse is a cultural venue, not a furnished museum, and it also houses the tourist information desk. Budget 15 to 30 minutes, and check the current program before planning around an exhibition.
15-30 minutes · no ticket needed; a stop costs only your time · Best for old-town walkers wanting a quick cultural stop
Katzenturm Feldkirch: The Old Town Tower and Its Surroundings
A broad, heavy tower that once formed part of Feldkirch's town fortifications, nicknamed "Der Dicke" on old postcards. See it from the street in a few minutes, then continue to the cathedral and the castle hill.
a few minutes · Best for old town walkers and photographers
Wasserturm Feldkirch: The Medieval Water Tower on the Ill
A small defensive tower on Feldkirch's old town wall above the Ill, viewed only from outside. Its west face carries a 1518 coat of arms fresco, best seen in early or late light; the building itself is club premises with no visitor entrance.
a few minutes · no ticket to buy · Best for walkers tracing old town walls
Kapuzinerkloster Feldkirch: The Capuchin Friary and Church
A working Capuchin friary, not a museum, whose 1605 church holds the rare relic of Saint Fidelis. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the church, keep voices low, and skip the closed wings.
20-30 minutes · no ticket desk · Best for quiet prayer and relics
Old town stops that ask only for your time
The Johanniterkirche on Marktgasse has free entry for its 2026 exhibition, with one artist filling the nave, the floor and the rear sacristy. Entry to the Palais Liechtenstein needs no ticket either, and the Schlossergasse building also holds the tourist information desk. At the Kapuzinerkloster on Bahnhofstraße there is no ticket desk at all: the 1605 church holds the relic of Saint Fidelis, and 20 to 30 minutes is enough.
Outside, the Katzenturm and the Wasserturm are seen from the street in a few minutes each. The Wildpark on the Ardetzenberg is free to enter and open daily, with donations welcome at the entrance, though drivers pay for hill parking.
The one stop that needs arranging ahead
The Schattenburg is the only sight here that asks you to plan ahead: groups must register their visit before arriving at Burggasse 1 above the old town. Give the castle 60 to 90 minutes once you are inside, letting the Gothic Room and the keep take most of that time. Everything else on the old-town circuit, from the cathedral near Marktgasse to the Johanniterkirche and the Palais Liechtenstein, needs no booking at all, so a walk between them can stay flexible.