Description
Hof Palace is one of the largest rural palaces of its kind in Austria. In order to do justice to this status, the historic building was painstakingly restored from 2003 to 2005 by renowned experts and brought back to life for future visitors in the truest sense of the word.
The castle itself has a long history and is still strongly influenced by its former owners Maria Theresa and Prince Eugene of Savoy, who between 1720 and 1730 created an exceptional example of Baroque architecture in Austria.
Visitation
As in the past under the leadership of the monarch, today hundreds of employees work to restore the castle to its old charm and present it to its guests. In the breathtaking staterooms, original furniture and paintings can be admired again today, which with the help of historical plans could be arranged in these rooms again in such a way that the complete interior is based on the times of Maria Theresa. However, the journey into the past is not limited to the noble rooms of the castle, but can also be continued in the expansive gardens. Thanks to archaeological excavations, sculptures and a large part of the historic fountain have been restored and, together with the artistically designed gardens, form a unique ensemble.
Thus Schloss Hof offers on the one hand the possibility to explore the baroque past of Austria in a very relaxed way and on the other hand to take a little souvenir of that time with you in the Schlossshop, whether it is handmade porcelain or other design objects. A visit to Hof Castle is therefore worthwhile in every respect.
Animals in the estate
The Hof manor house is an animal kingdom: around 240 animals live here. Many of them can also be stroked. Starting with old Austrian domestic animal breeds such as Carinthian spectacled sheep or Steinhendl, through the white donkeys typical of the Baroque to exotic clumsy animals, rare breeds are represented.
How to get there
By car:
The best way to reach Schloss Hof by car is via the airport motorway A4 on the Fischamend exit and the B9 in the direction of Hainburg or the B49.
Close to the castle you can park your car in one of the 545 parking places of the forest car park, where there are also 21 bus parking places.
By public transport:
The journey to Hof Palace can also be made without any problems by train. For this purpose, the train station in Marchegg should best be indicated as the final destination at ÖBB, because from here a shuttle bus runs at regular times (10.15 a.m., 12.15 p.m. and 3.15 p.m.), which travels directly to Hof Palace. Otherwise there is also the possibility to rent a "Next Bike" from Marchegg railway station and reach the castle in a few minutes.
Further combination tickets for the journey are available on the ÖBB homepage. If you would like to experience a special journey to Hof Palace, you can also take it by ship.
By bike:
You can reach Hof Castle by bicycle via the so-called Marchfeldkanal cycle path, which offers even inexperienced cyclists the opportunity to reach Hof Castle on the sporty path with a gentle incline of 60 kilometres.