Schloss Wimsbach

Schloss Wimsbach stands on the steep slope of the Wimsbach river terrace in Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting, Upper Austria. The core of the building dates back to a medieval fortress from the 13th century, owned by the family von Witimspach. After a fire in the early 17th century, the Starhemberg family rebuilt it as a Renaissance-style schloss. Later, 18th-century alterations gave the structure its present appearance. The castle is surrounded by a landscaped park with terraces and modelled sections. A circular water basin survives from the former ornamental garden.

The schloss’s irregular seven-sided floor plan encloses a rectangular inner courtyard. Its north-west façade, with seven window axes, is framed by two round towers topped with pagoda-like roofs. A corbelled tower marks the main entrance, above which the Schnapper family’s coat of arms and motto ‘Labor nobilitat’ are displayed. Inside, the vaulted entrance hall leads to a two-storey arcade on three sides, with open arches on the ground floor and glazed walkways above. Heavy conglomerate columns support the lower arches, while toscan columns carry the upper gallery.

The castle park contains a long chestnut avenue that stretches north from the local parish church. It is said to have been planted so the ladies of the house could stroll in shade to the nearby woodland. The park’s mature trees include horse chestnut, plane, copper beech, and Lawson cypress. The south-east façade features a balcony resting on three robust modern piers. The entire complex remains in private hands and is used today for events and celebrations.