Altenberg Castle

Altenberg Castle is a baroque castle built at the end of the 17th century in Hitzendorf, Styria. It is now privately owned and was last renovated in 1976.

Altenberg Castle is situated on a ridge that separates the main town of Hitzendorf from the cadastral community of Berndorf.

The castle was built in the baroque style and initially had four bay towers. The wings added to the east side in 1911 were also provided with bay towers. A castle chapel is housed in the west wing, its bell tower standing above the entrance gate of the wing. There is also a castle park.

Altenberg Castle was built at the end of the 17th century by Franz Anton von Haydegg. Previously, the Altenberg property, known as a farmstead since the 16th century, was located here. In 1740, the Haydegg family had to sell the castle and all its possessions. Anton Schellenbauer acquired the estate in 1790 and managed it together with Schütting Castle. Schellenbauer was ennobled in 1794. However, the title was revoked when he was arrested for fraud in 1817. After Schellenbauer's arrest, the estate passed into the possession of the Haffner family from Graz. In 1903, it was acquired by Countess Nyary, whose family lived in the castle for about three decades. In 1911, the castle was expanded by the Counts Nyary, as part of an extension on the east side, to well over twice its original size. During the Second World War, the property served as accommodation for forced laborers. From the 1960s until 1972, the property was run as an inn and was considered a popular meeting place among the people of Graz. It was renovated in 1976.