Three Key Rosewood Schloss Fuschl: An Iconic Castle Hotel Reinvented

"A few narrow bends through the Austrian woods and a postcard view opens: an eggshell-yellow, four-story 15th-century tower perched on a peninsula above the surreal turquoise of Lake Fuschl, with smiling staff already rushing out to greet me. First built in 1461, long the site of legendary hunts and royal gatherings under the Archbishops of Salzburg, it became a hotel in 1958 and soon drew luminaries from Audrey Hepburn to the Queen of Thailand to Richard Nixon, even serving as the setting for the iconic mid-1950s Sissi trilogy. After nearly two years as a cordoned-off construction site, the grand reopening unveils six restaurants, excursions from boat trips to hot air balloon rides, and a magnificent, expanded spa with two pools, wellness treatments, and a hairdressing salon. The historic soul remains in original doorways and marble staircases leading toward the tower, while elegant, cozy rooms frame the lake through floor-to-ceiling windows; even the mini-bar is a hand-painted still life by Austrian artist Marie Hartig, stocked with pre-mixed cocktails from the local Farthofer distillery, Bad Ischl pastilles, Bollinger champagne, and trendy Claze Azul tequila. On the grounds I reclaim my sunny lakeside spot, then give in to the new outdoor kitchen’s temptations: wonderfully fresh panzanella of colorful tomatoes, lively mackerel ceviche, finely prepared Styrian shrimp in bite-sized buns, and fish from Lake Fuschl still sourced from master fisherman Gerhard Langmeier, who has run the fishery within sight of the castle since 1987. Elsewhere, Seeterrasse offers tomato with a mousse of local sheep’s cheese and a risotto topped with Ikejime Loup de Mer from the Adriatic, dishes that sing with a glass of white wine from southern Styria, backed by a castle wine list of around 1,400 different wines. The spa is perhaps the most transformed, now spanning 1,500 square meters with a new infinity pool above the lake, while the Sisi Teesalon and the courtyard’s Sisi Museum tilt the balance back toward the romance of the past. With fresh summer air flowing through open windows, rain pattering on the water by night, and birdsong at dawn, I leave this turquoise paradise already nostalgic—and reassured that what matters here will never change." - Annette Sandner