Schloss Mönchstein

Schloss Mönchstein stands high on the northern edge of the Mönchsberg plateau in Salzburg. The building is a late-19th-century villa that was later enlarged into a grand hotel. Its terraces look north over the Salzach valley and the city below. The site has been home to a watchtower since the 14th century. A small pleasure house for professors was built in the 17th century, later enlarged by a banker who laid out gardens and a lift up the mountain. In 1919 the villa became a castle and welcomed Queen Marie of Romania as a guest. Visitors now find a five-star hotel with 24 rooms and suites. The Glass Garden restaurant and Apollo Bar sit in a glass-and-steel pavilion by Volkmar Burgstaller. A 300-square-metre spa and an outdoor infinity pool overlook the valley. The hotel’s restaurant has held two Gault Millau hats and a Michelin star.