Rosewood Schloss Fuschl
Hotel · Salzburg Umgebung ·
Lakeside castle resort with spa, golf, and fine dining
Information
Schloss-Straße 19, 5322 Hof bei Salzburg, Austria Get directions
Lakeside castle resort with spa, golf, and fine dining
Schloss-Straße 19, 5322 Hof bei Salzburg, Austria Get directions
"Legendary and fairytale-like, set in Hof near Salzburg in Upper Austria, it reopened this summer after two years of refurbishments and was awarded an exceptional Three Keys." - Le Guide MICHELIN
"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
"A reimagined 15th-century lakeside castle resort and spa that opened in 2024, offering 98 airy rooms with lake and forest views and hearty Austrian cuisine in its main restaurant (think crispy schnitzels and venison tartare). The property includes an elegant tea salon producing elaborate pastries, an in-house strudel baking class, and a modern spa whose three saunas feature an old-world aufguss ritual using local essential oils and even beer essence. An outdoor thermal infinity pool perches over a woodsy ravine and a trail circles Lake Fuschl for scenic walks." - Adam H. Graham
"Rosewood Hotel Schloss Fuschl is located in a historic palace once frequented by the Archbishops of Salzburg and Audrey Hepburn." - The MICHELIN Guide
"On a baking-hot July afternoon, I lounged on a cabana-like chair at the lake club, a cool breeze ruffling rows of powder-blue striped parasols while, to one side, a swimwear-clad couple sunned themselves beside a pair of glittering amber Aperol spritzes and, to the other, a family with two kids skipped toward the water with pool floats, laughter carrying across the lake as someone toppled from a kayak. It feels like the ultimate European beachside idyll, except it’s set in the heart of the Austrian Alps about 350 kilometers from the nearest coastline at the buzzy new hotel reopened this June by Rosewood, gazing out on what has to be one of the most majestic vistas in central Europe: a glowing shade of turquoise water kept remarkably peaceful by a ban on motor boats, dramatic forested slopes rising above it, the picture-postcard village of Fuschl at the far end, and jagged snow-capped mountains beyond." - Liam Hess