Schloss Reichenau

Schloss Reichenau stands in the market town of Reichenau an der Rax in Lower Austria. It began as a four-sided medieval fortress beside a loop of the Schwarza river. Over centuries the building grew into a large complex arranged around a rectangular courtyard. The castle’s history reaches back to about 1190 when local nobles built the first stronghold. In 1256 it became the seat of the Reichenau lordship, passing through several noble families before the Zisterziensermönche from Stift Neuberg took charge in 1333. For more than four and a half centuries the monks used the castle as a summer residence. Later it served as an office and home for senior mining officials. In 1992 the last private owner created a foundation to turn the castle into a cultural centre. Today visitors find a protected monument with a clear outline of the old courtyard. The Dehio survey shows the main building, outhouses and the parish church grouped closely together. Recent exhibitions have filled the rooms with displays on regional history and the nearby Semmering railway. The setting beside the river and the surrounding market town give the castle a calm, dignified presence.