Stilling longings, fulfilling daydreams
Be a guest at Haggenberg Castle
In fairy tales, there are places that are different from the rest of the world, places where things are possible that would not be possible elsewhere, places that have a unique magic, emanate an enchantment, exert an allurement. In art, they are considered ensouled. In the healing arts they are called places of strength, places that exude a unique energy. Places of longing, poetry.
Such a place can be found in Austria, nestled in a gentle, hilly countryside. To the north of Vienna, in the Weinviertel, there is Haggenberg Castle. Originally, a fortified castle, then a palace, afterwards a granary, most recently an artists' colony of the Viennese avant-garde. Dedicated to Greek antiquity and especially to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. First mentioned historically in the 13th century. Conquered, taken over, rededicated. It has always been a place of refuge. For fighters, for the mighty, for the needy, for farmhands, and finally for artists. Ever since the beginning, Haggenberg Castle has been a place of continual transformation.
The baroque moated castle in the Weinviertel is a rough jewel, which is opened by its owners for people to meet each other appreciatively in a unique "Rough-Luxe" Ambience.
Sense and sensuality.
SANCTUM Haggenberg, the heart’s core of the castle, is a very special hideaway. For many occasions, and up to 10 - 22 guests.
Everything is infused by Far Eastern Wabi-Sabi philosophy. The characteristics of Wabi-Sabi are unpretentious, yet hold a deep presence and a quiet authority. Wabi-Sabi describes and celebrates the transience of all that exists, conveying an atmosphere of acceptance, stillness, and serenity.
Treasuring this essence and making it exclusively available to people is what the Osmann*s, as the new owners of the castle, have decided to do.
Haggenberg Castle is a dreamy place of longing and a wildly romantic hideaway. An exclusive place to still longings and fulfil daydreams.
Guests at Haggenberg Castle appreciate:
The poetry of the moment.
The art of living well.
The strength of silent retreat.
Spend precious days at Osmann*s.
Welcome – Be a guest at Haggenberg Castle.
Haggenberg Castle. A refuge of free thinking.
This remains tangible to this day. Artists of the Austrian post-war avant-garde, part of the infamous Vienna Group, above all H.C. Artmann, Konrad Bayer, Padhi Frieberger and Friedensreich Hundertwasser felt attracted by the contemplative, creative atmosphere of this place. For them, Schloss Haggenberg was the domicile of their living and creative community for many years, aiming the advancement of the regional art scene after World War II. A grand piano from the legendary Club 45 and an armchair from Club 2 are today’s reminders of their pioneering spirit.
However, the history of the castle, first mentioned historically in the 13th century, goes much deeper. Those who want to immerse themselves in the history of the house can do so on a guided tour through the authentically preserved spaces. It feels a bit like gazing at the nocturnal sky: the closer you look, the more it reveals itself.
The Sinzendorfs' exuberant summer festivities in their pleasure palace arise before the mind’s eye. Baroque opulence. Guests being transported in Venetian gondolas by Venetian gondoliers to dine in the Murano glass pavilion on an island in the centre of a once artificially created lake, now no longer there.
The thoroughly composed interior design also provides deep insights into the humanistic world view of the former lord of the castle, Imperial Count Theodor von Sinzendorf. The banquet hall is dedicated to Hermes Trismegistos (’the thrice greatest’). The Egyptian Hermes is said to have been the greatest of philosophers, the greatest of priests, and the greatest of kings, all at the same time. Scenes from the ancient world of the gods, especially with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, sprinkled with hermetic symbols and numerical codes, pervade the building, and have much to tell the attentive observer. The focus is on love, unity, and harmony in alignment with divine order, that primordial power that can only fully unfold through the meeting of polarities.
The spirit of the place abundantly bestows its stories to those who are willing to engage with it and let the genius loci touch them. No wonder the castle with its unique atmosphere has already been discovered and appreciated by Hollywood as a filming location.
A remote castle. A remote embassy. Seemingly out of place and out of time. Haggenberg Castle might have been destroyed long ago or, in order not to cause a stir, might not have been built at all. But here it is. Despite everything. A castle built out of a dream. And we, right in the middle of it.
