Schloss Engelhof

Schloss Engelhof stands in Ennsdorf, a district of Steyr in Upper Austria. The building began as a farm in the 13th century and became an aristocratic seat in 1625. Its present Renaissance form dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, with later neobarock alterations in 1887. The complex includes two main wings framing an arcaded courtyard, square corner towers and traces of smaller turrets. A round tower in the oldest part contains late Gothic ribbed vaults and a dated door frame from the 16th century. The castle’s owners changed frequently over the centuries. The Engel family gave the site its name early in the 16th century. Later owners included the Zuvernumb family, the Strasser Edlen von und zu Gleyss, the Jesuits and the city of Steyr. Since 1887 the Reder-Hrad family has held the property. The neobarock wrought-iron gate, designed by Karl Haybäck, was rebuilt after wartime damage using surviving fragments. Visitors walk through the landscaped park and pass the reconstructed entrance gate. Inside, the two-storey arcaded courtyard remains covered, linking the main wings. The round tower’s first floor shows fine network rib vaults, while the ground floor holds an irregularly vaulted room that may once have served as a chapel. Outside, the surrounding wall and park frame views of the Renaissance façade and its steep neobarock roofs.