Schloss Nechelheim

Schloss Nechelheim stands in the small park west of St. Lorenzen in the Mürztal valley. It began as a 12th-century nobleman’s seat called ‘Heim des Neche’ and was first recorded in 1188. Over the centuries the estate passed through many families, from the Krabatsdorfers in the 15th century to the Fraydenegg-Monzellos who still own it today. In 1789 Franz Xaver Freiherr von Fraydenegg-Monzello transformed the old fortified house into the present baroque palace. The site includes traces of its medieval defences, such as remnants of the moat and parts of the former bergfried. The building is a three-storey baroque rectangle with striking round corner towers capped by tall roofs on its south front. Between them sits a round gable containing a clock. The chapel on the second floor of the south-west tower holds 1789 wall paintings and a ceiling fresco of St. Francis Xavier by Joseph Michael Gebler. The vaulted entrance hall on the ground floor is decorated with coats of arms, paintings and historic weapons. A 16th-century granary beside the palace was later turned into farm buildings. Visitors walk through the park where the old moat still leaves faint marks. Inside, the entrance hall’s vaulted ceiling and the chapel’s painted surfaces show the craftsmanship of the late 18th century. The granary’s sturdy stone walls recall the estate’s working past. The palace remains in private hands, offering a quiet glimpse into the layered history of a small Styrian noble residence.