Weitra Palace

Schloss Weitra stands on a rise south of the old town of Weitra in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria. It began as a medieval fortress built between 1201 and 1208 by Hadmar II of Kuenring. By the late 16th century the structure had been transformed into a Renaissance palace under Wolf Rumpf, chamberlain to Emperor Rudolf II. The present building was designed by the Swiss-Italian architect Pietro Ferrabosco and completed after 1588. The palace passed to the Princes of Fürstenberg in 1606 and later suffered damage in the Thirty Years War. After fires in the 18th century baroque and rococo elements were added. During the Second World War Soviet troops occupied the site and left it in ruins. In 1994 it was restored for the Lower Austrian state exhibition and opened to the public. Visitors find a large courtyard used for concerts and festivals, including the annual Schloss Weitra Festival founded by Felix Dvorak. The palace also houses a brewery museum and a permanent exhibition on the Iron Curtain. Traditional events such as the garrison ball continue to be held here. The surrounding landscape of the Waldviertel offers quiet walks and views of the countryside.