Schloss Poppendorf

Schloss Poppendorf stands on a small hill 320 metres above the Poppendorfer valley in the south-east of Styria. The building began as a 13th-century castle owned by Leutold von Poppendorf, a vassal of the Lords of Wildon. After the Poppendorf family died out in 1386, the estate passed to new owners, including Ulrich Pesnitzer in 1420 and his grandson by 1468. Over centuries the house was enlarged and altered, becoming a proper schloss by the 17th century. The present baroque building dates from 1667, when Ferdinand von Offenheim commissioned a complete rebuild finished in 1676 by Georg Mersperg. A free-standing chapel was added in 1720. After changing hands many times, the schloss fell into decay in the 19th and early 20th centuries until it was restored in 1926. From 1950 the estate was divided and sold off, but the main building survived as a private home and cultural venue. Today the schloss contains a restaurant and hosts exhibitions and events. It has been the setting for painterly retreats organised by Josef Fink and the Graz Minorites cultural centre. In 1971 the grounds hosted the Popendorf 71 music festival. Visitors can still admire the baroque façade, the chapel, and the surrounding park that rises gently from the former marshland below.