Pöckstein Castle

The castle is a large, four-story block building on a rectangular floor plan (7- or 8-axis). Its formal design is that of a "Stöckl" (i.e., it has only one roof, no inner courtyard, which is rare for a building of this size). The fourth floor is visually separated as a dwarf story by a plaster band. An additional floor is located in the mansard roof, illuminated by dormer windows. Above the roof rises the tower-like lantern, which in turn is crowned by a roof turret with a clock and an onion dome. The lantern illuminates the hall and the staircase. Tower-like chimneys are located at the corners of the second mansard level.

On the ground floor are the rooms for the servants and the entrance to the chapel, which extends over two floors. The flat ceiling has a painted false dome. The walls are richly structured with plastic and painted Neoclassical and Zopfstil elements. The altarpiece is a crucifixion in the style of Kremser Schmidt.

The state rooms on the second floor are remarkable. Especially the dining room is decorated with illusionistic paintings of exotic animals and plants by Franz Wagner, still very much in the Baroque style. The entrance room, the noble antechamber, and the reception hall are also richly decorated with stucco and paintings.

Of the extensive garden grounds, which were laid out in the style of a French park, only remnants remain, such as the tool sheds and the bowling alley. Particularly noteworthy is the Neoclassical temple-like pavilion (monopteros) on a polygonal floor plan with columns, featuring stucco ornaments in the Zopfstil inside.

Technically, the castle was already modernly equipped at the time of its construction. The heating system was designed so that only the four aforementioned chimneys were needed on the roof. Likewise, rainwater from the roof was collected and directed into containers in the attic. From these containers, the toilets were flushed.