Description of the attraction
Moosham Castle is located in the federal state of Salzburg, more than 90 kilometers south of the city of Salzburg itself. This magnificent medieval building now functions as a museum and cultural center. It should be noted that the castle is the third largest in this federal state.
The first mention of this castle dates back to 1191. Its appearance is especially interesting, since one part of it was completed much earlier and is a typical medieval donjon - a residential tower surrounded by a powerful fortress wall. It is known that in 1577 the castle was expanded, and it was then that a large second part of the castle grew, however, in the style of a medieval fortress. The older part was called the "Lower Castle", and the later, respectively, is known as the "Upper Castle".
However, already in the 18th century, the castle fell into disrepair. Its restoration was undertaken by its new owner, Count Wilczek, who acquired it in 1886. He was a truly outstanding person, a patron of the arts and sciences, and a member of the polar expedition. Earlier, he bought another medieval dilapidated castle - Kreuzstein and made it his family nest. As for the Moosham castle, Wilczek transformed it into an art gallery, which is still operating today. Here you will find a variety of prints and portraits by German and Dutch artists.
The castle is also famous for its luxurious interiors, which have been preserved almost in an authentic form. The dining room features a marble fireplace and wooden Gothic ceiling, while the study has a more austere style and is decorated only with hunting trophies hanging on the walls. The living rooms are of both Gothic and later Renaissance styles and are decorated with mosaics, majolica and wood paneling.
Also in the castle, it is worth visiting a small chapel, where an old Gothic altar made in Hamburg, a hunting lodge and a torture chamber dedicated to the witch-hunt process have been preserved.
