Castles tour

Bringing new life to old Styrian walls

Karl and Ingrid Vetter von der Lilie found a ruin and put their heart and soul into saving Neuhaus Castle in Stubenberg am See from ruin.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The "Krone" not only shows when historic buildings are being destroyed, but also repeatedly brings positive examples of successful renovation onto the stage. We took a look at a castle and two palaces in Eastern Styria that have been impressively revitalized with state aid.

Renovating Styrian architectural gems instead of erasing them - with this slogan and a well-filled revitalization funding pot, the province is declaring war on the wrecking ball. Every year, around 100 houses with a white-green history can be given a new lease of life and regional identity preserved for future generations. As in previous years, we are once again bringing showcase projects to the fore: we set off on a tour of castles and palaces in Eastern Styria with ÖVP State Councillor for Housing Simone Schmiedtbauer and took a look at what successful revitalization can look like.

Ruin discovered while swimming 
First stop: Neuhaus Castle in Stubenberg am See, built in the middle of the 14th century by the Stubenberg family. Karl and Ingrid Vetter von der Lilie discovered the ruins while swimming in Lake Stubenberg and bought the old walls.

This is what the walls used to look like(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Neuhaus Castle(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

That was at the beginning of the 1980s, and from then on, a lot of time and money went into the Hercules project. "The Palas, the medieval residential tower, had collapsed, and all you could see above the meters of rubble was the open sky," reports retired ambassador Karl Vetter von der Lilie, who welcomes us to the renovated Knights' Hall. The castle had burned down twice in the course of its history, most recently in 1800, followed by 180 years of decay. "We collected 22,000 old roof tiles from the region to rebuild the main roof," adds his wife Ingrid.

What is funded?

• The restoration of vaults, exposed wooden ceilings, stucco ceilings and valuable floor coverings, the repair of historic windows and doors or the restoration of plaster and coloring in lime technique are all eligible for funding.
• On average, the state distributes1.4 million euros per year from the revitalization fund . Funding is provided for historically significant buildings.

Without renovation, the castle would have fallen into complete ruin 
As you can see: If the couple hadn't put so much heart and soul into the reconstruction, the castle would probably only be found on old engravings today. "Is there also a ghost haunting the rooms?" asks Provincial Councillor Schmiedtbauer with a wink. "Yes, but a good one," laughs the "lady of the castle", who lives in Neuhaus with her husband for most of the year. "We have created living space here on a greenfield site - without sealing anything," smiles the couple.

The owner family Hamker welcomes the "Krone" to the revitalized Feistritz Castle in Ilz, whose foundation stone was laid by the Hochfreien von Feistritz-Traisen in the 12th century.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The next stop on our "revitalization journey": Feistritz Castle in Ilz, whose gates the owner family Hamker opens for us. Built as a castle at the beginning of the 12th century, the architectural jewel was transformed into a moated castle around 1600, but crumbled over the following centuries. The Hamkers took heart and painstakingly breathed new life into the historic house. "We have seven apartments in the castle, five of which we rent out," reports Martin Hamker.

ÖVP State Councillor for Housing Simone Schmiedtbauer, host Brigitte Kottulinsky and Johann Fiedler, Mayor of Bad Waltersdorf, in the courtyard of the lovingly revitalized wedding castle (from left).(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

We conclude our tour of the historic Obermayerhofen Castle, which now houses a hotel following extensive revitalization. The complex in Bad Waltersdorf is very popular as a wedding location.