Vogtturm

The Vogtturm stands at the corner of Zell am See’s Stadtplatz, where Dreifaltigkeitsgasse meets Turmplatzl. A medieval tower of trapezoid plan, it rises 23.5 metres with walls up to 13.5 metres thick on one side. Four of its five storeys now house the town’s museum, reached after a full restoration in 2020.

The building’s origins lie in the 12th-century power struggle between Salian and Staufer kings and the counts of Lechsgemünd-Frontenhausen-Mittersill-Pinzgau. It served as a keep, customs post and residence for the counts’ local representatives. A great fire in 1770 gutted two storeys and the roof, leaving charred rafters still visible today. Later it became a granary, a bishop’s storehouse and even a private home in the 19th century.

Visitors climb through vaulted rooms that once stored grain and documents. The museum displays prehistoric finds, folk costumes and paintings of the Zeller See by Richard Hirschbäck. Outside, the tower’s massive stonework and the neighbouring Hippolyt-Kirche recall the counts’ medieval seat. The square below preserves the outline of the old market courtyard enclosed by gates.