Schloss Unterweikertshofen

Schloss Unterweikertshofen stands in the village of Unterweikertshofen, part of the Erdweg municipality in Upper Bavaria’s Dachau district. It sits just north-west of the local St. Gabinus church, on the left bank of the Glonn. The building began as a medieval fort before becoming a Renaissance palace. Today it is protected both as a listed monument and as an archaeological site. The palace’s long history is visible in its architecture. A 12th-century castle gave way to a 14th-century expansion by the Bavarian dukes. By 1550 three massive square towers stood linked by walls. In 1610 Hans Sebastian von Adlzhauser laid the foundations of the present three-storey building, completed six years later. Swedish troops burned it in 1633; it was rebuilt with onion-domed turrets and a high hipped roof. Inside, a vaulted entrance hall leads to symmetrical rooms on either side. The west front shows a richly carved doorway dated 1896, while the south side has a square annexe with small upper windows. Cross-mullioned windows, lamella shutters and iron grilles mark the elevations. Outside, two pavilions frame a former ornamental garden on the east side. The gentle slope allows cellar access on the south-west corner.