Schloss Wolfsberg

The estate was owned by the Diocese of Bamberg since 1007. The castle was first mentioned in 1178 in a document from the Abbey of St. Paul. It was the prerequisite for the development of the homonymous settlement, which in 1289 became a city in full legal sense. From the second quarter of the 14th century until the sale of the entire Bamberg property in Carinthia to the Austrian state in 1759, the castle served as the residence of the Bamberg Vice-Cathedral, which represented the bishop in local affairs. The structure, made up of two irregular and interconnected sections, was transformed into a fortress by Italian builders in the 16th century to protect it from the approach of the Turks. At the same time, the complex was expanded to include residential wings, gates and towers. In 1561 a bell tower was built.

In 1846, industrial pioneer Hugo Henckel von Donnersmarck acquired the Wolfsberg estate, mainly due to the wealth of wood and water he needed to run his ironworks. From 1847 to 1853 he had the castle transformed into an English Tudor-style castle by the two Viennese architects Johann Romano and August Schwendenwein and furnished the interiors with fine furnishings. Almost nothing is seen of the former Renaissance building.

In addition to the main building itself, the former riding school, built in neo-Romanesque style in 1855, is a historic building.

The palace park also dates back to the time when it was built in the 1850s. The large landscape garden is one of the most important architectural garden monuments in Austria and is mentioned in the monument protection law

The current owner of the property is Kärntner Montanindustrie GmbH, which rents the rooms for events and weddings. The managing director is Count Andreas Henckel von Donnersmarck. The castle restaurant is run by a Stölzl family.