Landwirtschaftliche Berufs- und Fachschule Ritzlhof

The Landwirtschaftliche Berufs- und Fachschule Ritzlhof stands in Ansfelden, a town in the Linz-Land district of Upper Austria. The school occupies a protected historic building dating from 1875, when Landeshauptmann Moritz Eigner opened the provincial arable-farming school on the hilltop site. The original four-sided farmstead was later enlarged with a timber-framed atrium designed by the Dickinger-Ramoni architectural practice. The school is recognised for its practical training in garden design, floristry and landscape management. It runs a four-year full-time course that leads to qualifications as a horticultural gardener, florist or green-space designer, including two long work placements. Evening classes prepare experienced gardeners for the skilled-crafts examination, while apprentices attend day-release sessions to supplement their workplace learning. The campus also includes a 190-bed residential hall with its own kitchen and a leisure area with demonstration gardens and a teaching nursery. Visitors to the school can walk through the show gardens and themed plots that support the curriculum. The main building houses classrooms and workshops where students practise floral arrangements and garden construction. The site’s protected status and recent awards show how the original farmyard has been adapted for modern education while retaining its historic character.