Orth Castle

Orth Castle
photo: Hrncsir/BHÖ

2304 Orth an der Donau, Schlossplatz 1

General and historical information

The castle towers dominate the villagescape of Orth an der Donau. After having witnessed several adaptations and expansions, Orth Castle is now considered to be one of the largest buildings reflecting the Renaissance style in Lower Austria. Its modern appearance goes back to the year 1675. The castle was once a mighty castle with a moat and a drawbridge, dominating the plains of the Marchfeld region. Over the last years, office space was created for the employees of the national park of Donauauen.

The Castle underwent general refurbishment from 2004 until 2005 to accommodate the National Park Centre and to serve as an event venue for the municipality.

The Castle’s façades were restored and conserved under supervision of the Austrian federal monuments authority of Bundesdenkmalamt. The works unveiled different layers of render, pointing to different episodes in the building’s architectural history. Former window openings, which had been closed over time, were reconstructed in the western wing as well as in two of its turrets in order to reconstruct the building’s state during the Renaissance era. The modern part of the castle houses flats which were refurbished, too, before they were rented out again.

Occupants:

Nationalpark Donauauen (national park)
Municipalty of the Orth an der Donau 

Burghauptmannschaft Österreich – Departments in charge:
Building Management Department 404 - Ballhausplatz
HVAC Department 404 - Ballhausplatz
Property Management Department 201 - Administration