Schallaburg

Schallaburg is a Renaissance castle standing in the village of Schallaburg, near Melk in Lower Austria. It sits five kilometres from the Wachau valley, north of the Alps, in the Mostviertel region. The central part was built in the 16th century by the Losenstein family in the German Renaissance style. Earlier it had been a medieval fortress owned by the lords of Zelking from the 13th to the 15th century. In 1614 the Stubenberg family bought the castle and held it until the 20th century. The castle is worth visiting for its well-preserved Renaissance features. Hans Wilhelm von Losenstein transformed it in the 16th century, adding an elegant two-storied arcaded court with cantilevered staircases. Terracotta mosaics decorate the courtyard, showing mythological figures, gods and masks. A notable figure is the Hundefräulein, a human figure with a dog’s head. Two giant smoke-spewing dragons at the gate, each thirty metres long, delight children who slide down their mouths. Inside the castle visitors find changing exhibitions organised by the Museum Schallaburg. Since 1974 each year brings a new theme, from the Renaissance to Byzantium and the Vikings. The gardens contain roses, ornamental trees and two Renaissance apple orchards. The castle’s Mannerist gardens stretch beyond the walls, offering quiet walks among herbs and flowering shrubs.