Prentlhof, Vienna

The Prentlhof stands in Unterlaa, a district within Vienna’s 10th borough of Favoriten. It began as a hunting lodge built during the reign of Maria Theresia, originally called the Thurner Hof. The estate later passed to the Knights of Malta before coming under preservation orders. The Prentl family acquired the property in 1832 and gave it their name.

The house was formed by joining two farmsteads in the 18th century. Over the entrance hangs a carved cartouche showing the Virgin Immaculata beneath the imperial crown. Inside, the first floor still holds rooms with painted ceilings and walls depicting hunting scenes. Roughly half the building was destroyed by fire at some point, leaving scars on the façade.

Today the Prentlhof remains in the hands of the Sandbichler family, descendants of the Prentls. Across the street the old undershot mill by the Liesingbach recalls Unterlaa’s rural past. The building’s modest scale and surviving decorations offer a quiet glimpse of local history.