Dobersberg Castle

Dobersberg Castle - Schloss Dobersberg, Dobersberg, Lower Austria, Republic of Austria.

Dobersberg Castle dates from shortly before 1570 and was built by Baron Sigmund von Puchhaim. The castle is a large, two-story, quadrangular structure flanked by towers, with a forecourt. It has essentially retained its form to this day; only the main tower at the southeast corner lost its gallery beneath the gabled roof during renovations in 1805 and received its round onion dome.

In 1802, Count Philipp von Grünne purchased the Dobersberg and Illmmau estates, and in 1812, the Peigarten estate, relocating his official residence and estate management to Dobersberg. Because Count Philipp von Grünne was not frequently in Dobersberg due to the Napoleonic Wars (1805 and 1809), he leased the estates until 1810. However, the manorial farms fell into such disrepair that Count Grünne had to rebuild almost all of them upon his return. He also had the castle park redesigned, spending a great deal of money in the process, but was delighted that it was repeatedly praised as the most beautiful in the Waldviertel region. The nature-loving lord of the castle also cared for the surrounding area, having roads built and planted with trees. Some of these magnificent linden avenues have survived to this day. In 1812, he had the hunting lodge built on the road to Waidhofen and planted 2,116 plum trees in the so-called plum orchard there.