Herrnau Castle

Herrnau Castle is located next to Hellbrunner Allee in the south of the city of Salzburg.

The name Herrnau derives from the term "Au der adeligen Herren" (meadow of the noble lords) and originally referred to a part of the mighty riparian forest fringe between Hellbrunner Allee and the Salzach river. The word "die Herrnau" first appeared in 1574.

In 1631, the former valet Philip Vermeulen built the Herrnau manor (today Eschenbachgasse 21). The castle was referred to as a knight's fief. In 1685, the valet Johann Jakob Perger became the owner, who, after being elevated to the imperial nobility by Emperor Leopold I, called himself "von Pergrain". From 1741–1744, the castle was given its present form by the court chancellor Hieronymus Nikolaus Anton Christani von Rall (who, in an Italianized manner, liked to call himself Christani di Rallo). As court chancellor to Prince-Archbishop Leopold Anton von Firmian, Christani was the dogmatic mastermind and executor of the expulsion of Protestants in 1731/32 and gained a rather inglorious reputation throughout Europe. Later, the comital family of Quabeck owned the manor. In 1805, Elector Ferdinand of Tuscany owned the castle, and from 1846, the Kuenburg family of counts. Today it is owned by the Clary-Aldringen family.

The castle, situated on the now dry Eschenbach stream, which originated in Hellbrunn Palace Park, is aligned with the east portal of Hellbrunn Palace. It is a typical Salzburg country castle with three tall stories, further elevated by a high hip roof. The stair tower in the south is attached to the building and features the marble coat of arms of Christani von Rall, above which the coat of arms of the Counts Kuenburg is affixed.

The castle, surrounded by a park, is not accessible to the public.