Castel Gartenau, Medieval castle in Hallein, Austria
Schloss Gartenau stands on a rectangular plan on the southwestern slope of the Göll massif in Taxach, with a four-storey residential wing in the west and a two-storey horseshoe-shaped economic wing holding a tavern, stables and a coach house. The northern gate with its low round tower and loopholed wall survives; the southern gate was lost to cement quarrying. Above the eastern portal is the Panichner von Wolkersdorf coat of arms dated 1495, and a seated Baroque Madonna with Child sits in a niche.
The estate's roots reach back to the 12th century, when it was built as Grafengaden to control the salt trade south of Salzburg; it is first documented in 1339 as a Hof. Around 1400 Rudolf Trauner, steward of Glanegg, erected a freehold Ansitz here, and in 1430 the salt shipper Albrecht Scheller and his wife Wandula bought it and took its name as a noble title. In 1570 Jakob Khuen von Belasi, brother of the ruling prince-archbishop, had it rebuilt, giving rise to the southern wing.
The Panichner von Wolkersdorf coat of arms in red marble above the eastern portal carries the year 1495, though the Italian source reads 1494. Hans Panichner, steward of Golling, bought the estate in 1532; his Protestant son of the same name had to leave the country in 1565 and sold it to Jakob Khuen von Belasi in 1568.
The castle sits on elevated terrain above the town and is visible from exterior viewpoints, but remains private property. Visitors should focus on observing the exterior facades and building arrangement while respecting the privacy of its residents.
Gutratsberg mountain, where the castle stands, became the site of a cement factory operated by the Leube family starting in 1864 and continuing to the present day. This industrial activity alongside the historic residence demonstrates how the location's purpose has evolved over time.
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