Schloss Grubhof, Protected castle in Sankt Martin bei Lofer, Austria
Schloss Grubhof is a large villa-like building in Sankt Martin bei Lofer, given its present appearance in 1892 when architect Josef Wessicken and builder Jakob Ceconi wrapped the medieval core in a new facade and added a wing on the tower side. It has bay windows, balconies and turrets, and a park with an 18th-century marble statue of Neptune with a dolphin. It now holds 32 holiday apartments and a ground-floor restaurant.
The structure was first mentioned around 1300 as an episcopal fief and underwent major renovations between 1783 and 1785 under Baron Georg Franz Anton von Motzl. In 1892, industrialist Herrmann Schmidtmann commissioned architects Josef Wessicken and Jakob Ceconi to transform the medieval core into its current grand form.
The name Grubhof derives from the Grueber family, recorded here from around 1325; the court was called "zu Grub in der Louer" around 1300. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and the King of Bavaria were guests during the Schmidtmann era. The building has housed 32 holiday apartments and a ground-floor restaurant since the Alpenbau GmbH conversion.
The location now functions as a hotel complex and is accessible to visitors during operating hours who wish to explore the architecture and grounds. It is best to check in advance which areas are open to day visitors, as parts of the complex are privately used.
In the park stands a life-size 18th-century marble statue of Neptune with a dolphin, a detail most visitors walk past on the way to the entrance. The building has been a protected monument since 1993, listed under number 61139.
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