Schloss Starhemberg, Haag am Hausruck

Schloss Starhemberg stands on a wooded hill above the market town of Haag am Hausruck in Upper Austria. First mentioned in 1246, it began as a stone castle built before 1236 by Gundaker IV of Steyr. The fortress passed through many hands—bishops, dukes, and noble families—changing owners in wars and inheritances. Helmhard Freiherr von Jörger, born here in 1620, led a Protestant uprising and lost the castle when his lands were confiscated. The building still carries scars from sieges, fires, and later restorations.

The present Renaissance-style palace mainly dates from the 16th century though later owners remodelled it. Christoph Jörger converted the fortress into a more comfortable residence after 1498. Major changes in the 1920s raised the main tower and rebuilt the chapel, giving the courtyard its current appearance. Traces of the old drawbridge remain above the gate, and inside, rooms show barrel-vaulted ceilings and timber ceilings. The north wing once housed a brewery and now displays the Haager Heimatstuben, a local history museum.

Visitors walk through a long courtyard lined with three-storey arcades, two of which were walled up in the 19th century. At the far end stands a small chapel rebuilt in the 1920s, while a stone Nepomuk fountain marks the centre. The gate arch still shows slots for the bridge chains, though the moat and bridge have vanished. Summer evenings bring concerts in the courtyard beneath the altered towers. The palace remains a private home of the Hatschek family, yet its public rooms and museum welcome guests.