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Schallaburg today

Austria · Restored

Schallaburg

Schallaburg is a Renaissance castle in Lower Austria near the Wachau valley, whose central Renaissance rebuilding began around 1540 under the Losenstein family. Today it houses a regional museum and is noted for its decorated arcaded court, patterned tower and historic gardens.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1574

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1574

What Schallaburg looked like in its prime.

A long, pale plastered main range with two squarish corner towers and a steep red-brown tiled roof faces outward from a wooded hill; rows of rectangular windows punctuate the façade. Behind and above the main block rises a tall, cylindrical patterned tower with white panels, dark framing and a red domed cap. Remnants of older stone curtain walls sit behind the Renaissance range; formal gardens lie beside the castle.

Its story

The story of Schallaburg.

Schallaburg, near the Wachau valley in Lower Austria, was owned from the 13th to the 15th century by the lords of Zelking, and from 1456 until 1614 by the family von Losenstein, who began the central German-Renaissance rebuilding around 1540. In 1614 George von Stubenberg, father-in-law of George Christoph auf Losensteinleithen, bought the castle.

The castle combines a Romanesque residential castle and a Gothic chapel, patterned in the Italian Renaissance style, with a well-decorated two-storey arcaded court whose terracotta mosaics depict mythological figures, gods, masks, humans and animals, among them the legendary Hundefräulein, a female figure with a dog's head. Its Mannerist gardens hold roses, ornamental trees, herbs and two Renaissance apple orchards.

In 1967 the government of Lower Austria bought the castle from the Austrian state, and it now houses a regional museum. At the gate entrance stand two large 'smoke-spewing dragons', each thirty metres long and six metres high, a favourite entertainment spot for children, who slide down from the top of the mouth.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1574.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Schallaburg, including 4 interiors: two-storied arcaded court, cantilevered staircases in the courtyard, gothic chapel and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the wooded slope (south façade)Gate entrance with dragon sculpturesTwo-storied arcaded courtCantilevered staircases in the courtyardGothic chapelPatterned tower and capMannerist gardens and apple orchardsRestored interior rooms (museum exhibition halls)

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Schallaburg.

A strategy game played on Schallaburg’s real ground plan: the same surveyed walls shown in the archive below. Post your finite garrison on the battlements between assaults, then hold out as rams, siege towers, trebuchets and sappers arrive in ever-worse waves.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Schallaburg.

The families that held Schallaburg for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Zelking

    Owned by the lords of Zelking from the 13th to the 15th century.

  • Losenstein

    Held by the von Losenstein family, 1456–1614; builders of the Renaissance castle from around 1540.

  • Stubenberg

    Bought by George von Stubenberg in 1614.

From the archive

Schallaburg on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Schallaburg, Schallaburg: Burghof, Schallaburg

Schallaburg, Schallaburg: Burghof

· Museum of Architecture at Berlin Institute of Technology (via Europeana)

CC0 (no rights reserved)

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Schallaburg.

Melk Abbey, AustriaMonasteryMelk Abbey5 km awayArtstetten Castle, AustriaMuseumArtstetten Castle13 km away

Questions about Schallaburg

What is the history of Schallaburg?

Schallaburg’s history spans a medieval fortress, a Renaissance rebuilding and its present role as a museum. It first appears in a document as the fortress Schala in 1242, while the castle itself was erected in the 11th century. The lords of Zelking held it from the 13th to the 15th century, followed by the von Losenstein family, who rebuilt it from around 1540. It became a museum in 1974.

What is inside Schallaburg?

Inside Schallaburg are a two-storied arcaded court, cantilevered staircases and a Gothic chapel. The court has terracotta mosaics showing mythological figures, gods, masks, humans and animals, including the Hundefräulein, a female figure with a dog’s head. Restored interior rooms now serve as museum exhibition halls, and the chapel includes a three-naved, four-bayed column crypt with a ribbed vault.

Who owns Schallaburg now?

Schallaburg is owned by Schollach. It is a listed object in Austria and is also recorded as a museum, reflecting its present public and cultural use. The castle was bought by the government of Lower Austria in 1967, while the German-language account dates the purchase by Lower Austria to 1968.

Why was Schallaburg built, and what was it used for?

Schallaburg was built as a medieval fortress and residential castle before being transformed into a Renaissance castle. Its later buildings served residential and defensive purposes, while the former castle now functions as a museum and exhibition centre. From 1974 it served as an exhibition centre for Lower Austria, with annual exhibitions held there.

Where is Schallaburg?

Schallaburg is in Schollach, Lower Austria, near the Wachau valley. It stands in the village of Schallaburg, about six kilometres south of Melk; the English account gives the distance as five kilometres from Melk. The castle is in the Mostviertel region, north of the Alps.

When was Schallaburg built?

Schallaburg was built in several phases: the castle dates to the 11th century, while its present Renaissance appearance began in the 16th century, from around 1540. The large arcaded court was built around 1575, and the tall landmark tower dates from the end of the 16th century. The earliest documentary mention is from 1242.

Which family or clan held Schallaburg?

The Zelking family held Schallaburg from the 13th to the 15th century. The von Losenstein family held it from 1456 to 1614 and began the Renaissance rebuilding around 1540. George von Stubenberg bought the castle in 1614, after which it later passed to other owners.

What did Schallaburg look like in its prime?

In its Renaissance form, Schallaburg has a long, pale plastered main range with two squarish corner towers and a steep red-brown tiled roof. A tall cylindrical patterned tower rises behind it, with white panels, dark framing and a red domed cap. The complex also includes older stone curtain walls, a decorated arcaded court and formal Mannerist gardens.

Is Schallaburg still standing or is it a ruin?

Schallaburg is still standing and has been restored. Restoration began in 1968 with the roof, followed by extensive work from 1968 to 1974 that preserved the castle from deterioration after the world wars. Older elements survive alongside the Renaissance rebuilding, including Romanesque and Gothic components and remnants of earlier curtain walls.

Can you visit Schallaburg?

Yes, Schallaburg can be visited as a museum and exhibition centre. It has functioned as a museum since 1974 and houses exhibitions for Lower Austria. The site is also recorded as a museum and as a listed object in Austria.

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