Schloss Weikersdorf

Schloss Weikersdorf stands in Baden, a spa town south of Vienna in Lower Austria. Once surrounded by a moat, it began as a medieval water castle built by Hugo von Weikersdorf in the early 12th century. The fortress passed through the hands of the Babenberg dukes and later King Matthias Corvinus before becoming an imperial estate. After the Ottoman sieges of 1529 and 1683, the building was transformed into a Renaissance palace with an arcaded courtyard. Baroque remodelling in the late 17th century added stucco ceilings and a new facade to the gate tower.

The castle’s long history is visible in its layered architecture. The 1859–60 renovations introduced terracotta fittings by Victor Brausewetter, while the 20th-century hotel conversion filled in the old moat and added a south-side loggia. After Soviet occupation damage and later decay, the town saved the site in 1966 and turned it into a hotel in 1975. The 2018 extension brought 200 rooms, and the Euro 2008 football team stayed here. Recent restoration by Pytloun Hotels has returned the building to use.

Visitors now find a four-star hotel set in thirty thousand square metres of parkland. The main building mixes Renaissance arcades with Baroque stucco and 19th-century terracotta details. A modern east wing houses a sports hall and tennis courts. The landscaped grounds include the former moat area, now planted lawns, and the gate tower still marks the entrance. Inside, original ceilings and historic fittings remain alongside contemporary guest rooms and suites.