Description of the attraction
Johanneschlösl Castle is located on the steep slope of the Mönchsberg mountain at a distance of about a kilometer from the Cathedral of the city of Salzburg. This castle has changed many owners, and now it houses the residence of the monastic order of the Pallotinians.
The origin of the castle is shrouded in mystery, it is believed that it was built during the Late Middle Ages, around the XIV century, but this information does not agree with documentary evidence of the very existence of the Tennes noble family, to which this castle belonged. The next owner of the castle, which was then named Tennschlösl, was Ludwig von Alt, whose granddaughter Salome later became the unofficial wife of Prince-Bishop von Altenau, who soon moved to this castle himself and began to use it as his summer residence. However, this caused discontent on the part of the clerics of the Salzburg Cathedral, who, in turn, themselves occupied this castle for several years and renamed it Dekanatschlösl. At the same time, the palace was modernized, and in 1603 the chapel of St. John the Baptist was consecrated here, hence the modern name of the castle.
From 1678 Johanneschlösl was transformed into a military hospital, and in the 19th century it was first a match factory, and then, after careful restoration, the palace was used as a luxurious guest house. In the 20th century, many Russian nobles who fled after the October Revolution stayed here, including Sergei Zharov, the founder of the choir of noble Cossacks. Then the castle underwent a large-scale restoration, and another wing was erected, made in the neo-Renaissance style and featuring a high first floor, occupying several tiers of the building at once.
Unfortunately, the old Baroque buildings, including the chapel of St. John, were destroyed in 1944 during the bombing. They were rebuilt only after 10-20 years. Now, the Johanneschlösl castle houses a guest house run by Pallotin monks. You can get to the castle by car, by lift or on foot, following romantic winding paths.
