Description of the attraction
Klessheim Palace is located four kilometers west of the center of Salzburg, surrounded by a large park and a stream. In addition, there is a golf course in the historic park of the Summer Palace. Klessheim is the former seat of the archbishops of Salzburg and is currently the only year-round casino.
Originally there was a small manor on this site, which was acquired by the prince-archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun in 1690. The architect Johann Bernhard Fischen turned it into a beautiful palace, but after the death of the archbishop in 1709, his successor stopped all construction work in favor of Mirabell Castle. Count Leopold von Firmian Anton, who also worked with Leopoldskron Castle, finished the decoration of the palace. The Count extended the terrace of the assembly hall leading to the gardens. At the end of the 18th century, a wonderful picturesque English park was laid out on the territory of the palace during the reign of Archbishop Jerome von Colloredo. During the period of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the castle was from 1866 in the possession of Archduke Ludwig Victor, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I.
After the Austrian Anschluss in 1938, Adolf Hitler used Klessheim for conferences and official meetings. In particular, Benito Mussolini, Horthy Miklos, Ion Antonescu, Josef Tiso visited the castle. During Horthy's visit to Klessheim, Hitler secretly ordered the occupation of Hungary and the deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz on March 19, 1944.
Until October 1944, the palace remained out of the reach of allied bombers. In May 1945, he was captured by the American military administration.
After the war, the palace was rebuilt and transferred to Salzburg. During the Cold War, neutral Austrian governments used it to host conferences and host foreign guests, including US President Richard Nixon.
Since 1993, the palace has housed a casino.
