Schloss Altkettenhof

Schloss Altkettenhof stands in Schwechat, a town just outside Vienna in Lower Austria. Built in the 13th century as a smaller structure, it grew over centuries into a grand Baroque palace. The U-shaped building opens to the east, surrounded by a spacious park. Its façade features rich decoration with pilasters and projecting sections. A large conservatory occupies the south side, while a terrace called a Söller runs along the north. The palace sits between two rivers, the Schwechat and the Kalter Gang. The building’s history reflects the rise and fall of powerful families and institutions. In the 18th century, Chancellor Heinrich Kajetan von Blümegen expanded the estate and founded a textile factory nearby. Later owners included the banking family Fries and the brewer Anton Dreher junior, who commissioned a grand neo-Baroque makeover in 1902. After the Second World War, the Red Army occupied the palace until 1955. Today it houses a district court and a justice school. Visitors approach through the wide park and see the richly ornamented exterior. Inside, the former grand rooms now serve as courtrooms and classrooms. The conservatory still lets in light as it did for 19th-century residents. A terrace on the north side offers views over the surrounding rivers and parkland. The building’s layered history remains visible in its architecture and layout.