Rosenau Castle combines a Renaissance complex with the Austrian Freemasonry Museum and a circular hiking trail through an avenue, woodland and several villages. For your visit, you can focus on the history of the buildings and museum, choose a guided tour of the estate village, or follow the circular trail as it winds through the avenue, woodland and villages.
Renaissance, Baroque and Museum
The development of Rosenau Castle began in 1593, when the existing Wernhartshof was expanded. This created a four-sided, enclosed Renaissance complex around a rectangular courtyard. Under Leopold Christoph von Schallenberg, the castle was given a Baroque makeover from 1736 to 1747. Since 1975, the Baroque-style Renaissance building has housed the Austrian Freemasonry Museum, the only Freemasonry museum in Austria. The Baroque palace is one of the most significant art monuments in the Waldviertel.
On the west side stands the late Baroque parish church of the Holy Trinity. Its central-plan building has a cross-shaped floor plan. The former lodge rooms are on the first floor. The frescoes, dating from around 1747, are attributed to Daniel Gran. Architecture enthusiasts can explore the site's development from different perspectives: the expansion of the older estate, its later Baroque makeover, and the church with its distinctive floor plan. The Freemasonry Museum adds a cultural and historical focus of its own.
Guided Tours and Circular Hiking Trail
Guided tours of the attraction “Rosenau Castle and its Estate Village” can be booked year-round by prior arrangement. The short version lasts about 90 minutes, while the full tour takes around two and a half hours. You can choose a guided visit to fit the time available in your day’s itinerary.
The Rosenau Castle circular hiking trail offers a different way to explore the surroundings. It runs below the castle through the old chestnut avenue and the woodland, then continues via Oberneustift, the Neuwald, Jahrings and Guttenbrunn before returning to the castle. The starting and finishing point is Schlosshotel Rosenau. The difference between a guided tour and the circular trail is clear: the guided tours pass through the estate village and have approximate durations, while the trail goes through an avenue, woodland and several named villages.
Bismarck Tower and Getting There
Bismarck Tower stands about one kilometre northeast of Rosenau Castle, on a small hill amid a circular meadow of around six hectares. A midsummer celebration is held on Bismarck Meadow every year. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the event date in advance.
Rosenau Castle can be reached from Zwettl via the L71 and L74 country roads; the drive takes about ten minutes. If you are considering Zwettl as a possible base for your stay, you can factor this journey into your accommodation and sightseeing plans.
Discover more destinations: Groß Gerungs Municipality, Kottes, Schwarzenau, Schoberhof, Zwettl, Lower Austria, Schönbach, Griesbach, Arbesbach.
Go to the main travel overview: Zwettl.
