Freyenthurn Castle

Freyenthurn Castle is located in the west of the city of Klagenfurt on the southern slope of the Falkenberg, widely visible above the eastern bay of Lake Wörthersee. To the west below it is the city's vineyard.

The castle was built around 1541 by Hans Angerer, the court paymaster of King Ferdinand I, in a castle-like Renaissance style as a tower-like manor. The builder was subsequently allowed to add the predicate "zu Freyenthurn" to his name and from then on called himself Hans Angerer zu Freyenthurn. Over the course of history, the castle changed owners frequently over the centuries until today. Towards the end of the 16th century, it came into the possession of Sebaldus Feulner, the lord of Drasing Castle, who from 1597 onwards called himself Sebald von Staudach nach Freyenthurn. In 1670, after the death of Julius Neidhart von Staudach, Imperial Count Johann Wilhelm Attems, who already owned the lordships of Tanzenberg and Oberfalkenstein, acquired Freyenthurn Castle. Via Johann Andreas Sauer Graf von Ankenstein, the estate came into the hands of Michael von Thalheim in 1686, but the next change of ownership took place as early as 1694, when Andreas Lorenz von Vierengl acquired the lordship. From 1743 to 1815, the castle was owned by the Counts Grotta von Grottenegg, who incorporated it into a fideicommissum. Anton Medardus Kerschbaumer zu Treuenfeld acquired the lordship in 1815 but sold it two years later to the Carinthian iron magnate Baron von Koller. He sold the castle in 1842 to the industrialist Johann Rainer von Harbach.

In 1884, the then owner Wilhelm Graf Westerholt had the castle rebuilt in the then very popular Tudor style. It was only at this point that it acquired its current striking appearance with its many bay windows and towers. The count's widow in turn sold the property in 1923 to the Villach timber merchant and industrialist David Egger.

During the Second World War, the castle was severely damaged, especially in the outbuildings and on the rear side. After the death of David Egger, his daughter Marianne Haßlacher took over the property in 1950. However, only four years later, it passed to her daughter Hertha Hopper, who established a castle hotel in Freyenthurn. This was followed by further unsuccessful attempts to revitalize the castle. At times, a sanatorium was also planned. However, all plans ultimately failed due to the enormous maintenance costs of the building complex.

At the end of the 20th century, a Viennese investment company acquired the castle, but had to file for bankruptcy in 2001. After years of efforts to find a new owner for the property, another Viennese investment company acquired it in 2003, which currently leases it to the operator of a noble establishment.