Schloss Hof: Baroque palace with idyllic gardens
Schloss Hof, an impressive baroque castle in Lower Austria, impresses with magnificent gardens, historic state rooms and a lively history. The castle, once the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, offers a beautiful combination of architecture, art and nature. Visitors can explore the baroque gardens, take guided tours and visit the castle museum. The farm with animals and craft demonstrations is ideal for families.
Short info:
- What is Schloss Hof? A baroque castle in Lower Austria with a spacious park
- What can you experience there? For many, visiting the castle is just a side issue. The main attraction is the varied children's and family program.
- What are the highlights? The castle & garden, the manor, petting zoo, children's theatre and the children's and family world in the Bäckenhof invite
- Where is the castle? Schloßhof 1, 2294 Schloßhof (you can see Bratislava from the castle park)
- When is it open and how much does admission cost? Here you will find all entrance fees. One-time entry with the NÖ-Card for free.
- How can I reach it? From Vienna Central Station (with boarding options in Vienna Simmering, Vienna Stadlau and Aspern Nord) there are regular direct ÖBB train connections to Marchegg train station. There is a large parking lot for cars.
- How much time should you plan for a visit? At least half a day
General information about Schloss Hof
Schloss Hof is located about 20 km north of Vienna and is an impressive castle and a baroque summer residence from the 18th century. It is an important cultural asset of Austria and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Castles and parks of Schönbrunn, Vienna“Visitors of all ages can experience and enjoy Austria’s history and culture up close.
The castle was built as a hunting and country residence for the general Prince Eugene of Savoy and expanded by Maria Theresa into the largest country palace complex of the Habsburg monarchy. The complex consists of three main areas: the magnificent palace, the unique baroque gardens and the idyllic estate with its flora and fauna.
Schloss Hof offers a wide range of events, tours and workshops that are specifically aimed at children and young people. Accordingly, it is mainly families who come here. The large area of animals, the lovingly designed children's playground and the changing entertainment programs for children are particularly exciting.
Schloss Hof is an impressive complex that covers an area of around 70 hectares. The castle itself has a total area of around 5,000 square meters and is furnished with numerous historical works of art and furniture. The castle park extends over an area of around 50 hectares and was designed in the Baroque style. Here you will find numerous sculptures, water basins and fountains, a maze, a labyrinth, an orangery, an adventure playground, a petting zoo, an herb garden, a pony riding farm, a festival meadow and more.
A special highlight for children since 2023 is a bicycle parkour Train. The bikes (there are balance bikes for the youngest children) are provided free of charge on site. Unfortunately, the seat heights cannot be freely adjusted without an Allen key, which is why you sometimes have to wait for a bike in the right size for your child.
The Castle – The Interior
Inside the palace there are magnificent rooms to visit, which are furnished with valuable paintings, sculptures, furniture and art objects. Particularly worth seeing are the Imperial Apartment, the Ballroom, the Maria Theresa Apartment, the Chapel and the Sala Terrena, all of which were designed in the Baroque style. In the magnificently furnished rooms of the palace you get an insight into the royal living dreams of times gone by.
The majestic rooms on the first floor are accessible via the staircase. The tour of the palace begins in the north wing, where Prince Eugene's former apartment can be found, which was later remodeled for Emperor Joseph II. The east wing is devoted in detail to the art-loving general Eugene of Savoy and offers a wonderful view of the magnificent garden. After a visit to the chapel and the ballroom, the path finally leads to the south wing to Maria Theresa's chambers.
Attention: Unfortunately, photography is prohibited!
The Garden of Schloss Hof
The Baroque garden consists of seven terraces that gently slope eastwards towards the March. Its location offered a perfect opportunity to create a garden in the French style. With the help of architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt and garden engineer Anton Zinner, Prince Eugene had a significant garden created in a short space of time, which extended over seven terraces. The garden was symmetrically designed and contained numerous fountains and sculptures that paid homage to Prince Eugene.
At the end of the terraces you will find a maze with a viewing tower. The maze doesn't look that big, but it takes about 15 minutes to find an exit.
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