Radstadt

Culture Vacations at Gut Weissenhof
Active Getaways in SalzburgerLand and Radstadt

The region surrounding Radstadt is rich in mountains, streams, sunny alpine pastures and flower-filled meadows. Winter and summer both have their own unique appeal.

Every day of your active outdoors vacation at Gut Weissenhof in Radstadt, there is something new and exciting to discover!

The quiet power of Gut Weissenhof

Far removed from the hustle and bustle of the big city, you are able to escape the hectic, stressful lifestyle and discover peace and quiet,
This is your holiday at Gut Weissenhof in Radstadt.

Running or Nordic Walking before breakfast, hiking up to our own alpine hut or setting out on a bike tour towards Altenmarkt, bringing body and soul back into harmony …

Lying just a 15-minute walk from Radstadt, Gut Weissenhof has created a paradise of relaxation on your behalf, with our wellness & spa area and in- and outdoor pools all making their own special contribution.

Culture

Discover culture in Radstadt
Experience culture in SalzburgerLand

Radstadt... In this small town of culture, enjoy a wide selection of cultural opportunities and special events, cinema, music, folk traditions, church festivals and arts & crafts - in short, Radstadt offers guests of Gut Weissenhof a full, variety-filled program.

With its numerous, high-caliber special events, the "Das Zentrum" cultural association underscores Radstadt's position as the cultural hub of the Salzburger Sportwelt Amadé region.

Radstadt

Holidays at Gut Weissenhof
Holidays in the small town of Radstadt

It takes just 3 minutes by car to get from Gut Weissenhof to Radstadt, or if you prefer, take some of our bikes or perhaps a stroll along a beautiful country path.

Radstadt has a charming old section of town, surrounded by centuries-old walls, where most of the town's shops are also located.

Surrounding the old town are numerous smaller communities, very built-up and home to most of the town's population.

And in the countryside which surrounds these communities, we find some 110 agricultural businesses, one of which is Gut Weissenhof.

With its 4,722 residents (1,788 households), Radstadt is actually one of the larger communities in Salzburg province. The town spans an area of 60.82 km² and lies on a rocky terrace at 856 m above sea level, surrounded by two mountain groups, the Dachstein to the north and the Radstädter Tauern to the south.

The community as a whole consists of the catastral communities of Höggen, Löbenau, Mandling, Schwemmberg and Radstadt itself.

History of Radstadt

The Radstadt area was already settled by the Celts in the 4th century B.C. 

Possession of the area was then taken by the Romans, with the most important Roman road running from Aquileia over the Tauern mountains to Juvavum (a town near present-day Salzburg).

The actual recorded history of the town begins with settlement by the Bavarians in 7 A.D.

The precise roots of the town's name, be they of Slavic or Germanic origin, remain unexplained - Rastat (1074), Radestat (1092), Rastat (1139).

In the 13th century, the entire rocky terrace was fortified, and Radstadt received its town charter under Archbishop Rudolf von Hohenegg on 27 July 1289 - the only town of the Salzburg archbishopric located up in the mountains.

Due to its strategic significance on the border with Austria, the town was granted many freedoms and privileges.

The town was first put to the test in 1306 during the conflict with Duke Albrecht of Austria.

The town coat-of-arms was born at that time.
Gradually, judicial, market and staple rights were transferred from the mother town of Altenmarkt to Radstadt.

Due to many major fires (1365, 1417, 1616, 1855 and 1865), the town was robbed of many historic structures, of which only the Schusterturm (a late-Gothic column from 1513) still survives.

On 25 January 1459, famous organist and composer Paul Hofhaimer was born. For a long time he served as court organist to Emperor Maximilian I, and died in 1537.

The most significant époque was the Peasants' War in 1525/26. 5,000 peasants assembled around the town, led by Michael Gaismair, yet the town withstood the siege and, because of its loyalty, received its freedom charter in 1527 from Archbishop Matthäus Lang, along with the title "Always loyal".

This freedom charter also represents the basis for the town's uniformed ceremonial guard, which still continues to enjoy its own special privileges. 1621 saw construction of a Benedictine grammar school in a former castle, subsequently converted by the Capuchin order into a monastery in. 1628, which it remained until being dissolved in 1978.

At the beginning of the 19th cent., control alternated between Austrian, Bavarian and French armies of occupation. In 1816, Salzburg came to Austria and became a crown province in 1850.

In 1875,  construction of the Bischofshofen-Selzthal railway line brought a new economic upsurge. In 1938, the urban and rural communities were finally united under the same administration.

Sights in Radstadt

Radstadt is a 13th-century (anno 1231), fortified medieval town, though several devastating fires destroyed many of the original buildings centuries ago. The appearance of the town today is characterized by baroque and classical architecture. Still preserved, however, are sections of the early-modern town walls, incl. the Witches, Pond and Capuchin Towers. In front of the Pond Tower, we also find part of the town moat.

Guests of Gut Weissenhof are invited to enjoy and explore all of Radstadt's sightseeing attractions.

• Town parish church: three-aisled basilica, Romanesque-Gothic style, remodeled on several occasions. The first church was built in Radstadt in 1314. Due to town fires, however, it was devastated time and again, the last being in 1865. The town parish church is also home to the Paul Hofhaimer Memorial Organ.
• Schusterturm: late-Gothic column from 1513 in the cemetery of the parish church  
• Capuchin Church and crypt: baroque high altar; the Capuchin Tower is used as part of the Schloss Lerchen Heritage Museum.
• Schloss Lerchen: first chronicled in 1298, renovated in 1779; today home to the heritage museum
• Heritage Museum: located in Schloss Lerchen, depicting the history of Radstadt, local craftsmanship and sacred art
• Millennium Path: 1000 steps around the town walls and through the very history of Austria.