Weiherburg Castle

Weiherburg Castle (old Weyerburg, Weierburg) is a late Gothic manor house located in the Hötting district of Innsbruck, immediately adjacent to the Alpine Zoo. The name refers to a fish pond that existed until 1911.

With the relocation of the princely residence from Merano to Innsbruck in 1420 by Duke Frederick IV, nobles and wealthy citizens built numerous manor houses in the vicinity of the city. The castle was built around 1460 by Christian Tänzl. The Tänzl family had become rich through silver mining in Schwaz and also owned Tratzberg Castle, among others. Around 1480, Tänzl sold the castle to the Tyrolean sovereign Sigismund the Rich in Coin, which finally passed to Emperor Maximilian I in 1493, who elevated Weiherburg to a noble residence and gave it this name.

In 1560, the Augsburg citizen Veit Langenmantel bought Weiherburg and had an extension decorated with frescoes, the Langenmantel Hall, built. Archduke Ferdinand II had the castle expanded and created a menagerie, the predecessor of today's Alpine Zoo. After several changes of ownership, the city of Innsbruck took over the manor in 1911, which was restored in 1976–1978 under Mayor Alois Lugger. Today, Weiherburg serves as a representative building for cultural and social events, as well as housing a restaurant.

The St. Anna Castle Chapel was consecrated between 1481 and 1513 and decorated with frescoes in the Neo-Gothic style by Josef Strickner in the 19th century. The altarpiece shows the Mother of God Mary between Saint Anne and Saint Christopher.