Schloss Lankowitz, Heritage castle in Maria Lankowitz, Austria

Schloss Lankowitz is a regular four-winged building of three storeys with a rectangular ground plan, given its present form in the 16th and 17th centuries. The four wings enclose a large courtyard with columned arcades, whose arches were partly walled up and have been opened again in recent times. A small roof turret serving as clock and bell tower rises above the entrance front, and the round-arched, rusticated main gate sits on a square tower projecting one bay from the building, with the coats of arms of former owners and a sundial above it.

The castle was first built in 1440 by Georg Gradner on land that was held as a fief from the Counts of Montfort, and it was expanded to its current form during the 16th and 17th centuries. It remained a noble seat in the area for several hundred years.

The former chapel inside the castle now serves as a local heritage museum, where exhibitions on regional history and traditions are regularly held. This gives the building an active role in the daily life of the surrounding community.

Since the building is divided into private apartments and offices, it is worth checking in advance whether the courtyard or the museum in the former chapel are open to visitors. Access is not always guaranteed without prior contact.

From 1848 to 1993, the building was used as a prison, including a period as a women's prison, before passing into private hands. Few visitors expect that a place with such a long noble history also spent nearly 150 years as a place of detention.