Schloss Prielau

Schloss Prielau, also known as Prilla or Prüel, is a historical hunting lodge that once belonged to the prince-bishops. It is located in the municipality of Maishofen, in the district of Zell am See, within the state of Salzburg.The castle, which serves as a hotel, is protected as a monument.

The first mention of Prielau Castle was found in a document dating back to 1425, where a person named Christian Glaser zu Prielau was mentioned.Polycarp von Hunt owned the farm in 1466.From 1560 to 1565, Hans Christoph Perner von Rettenwörth undertook the task of rebuilding it, giving it the shape that it retains to this day.In 1577, Caspar Panicher was the owner of Wolckersdorff and he included this presidency as part of his name.During that period, Panicher held the position of provost in Fusch and also served as a judge in Zell am See.His daughter Anna, who is married to Christoph von Hirschau, succeeds him.The property came into the possession of Dietrich Kuen-Belasy Freiherr von Chiemsee in 1590 and remained under his ownership until 1722.The Diocese of Chiemsee then acquires this dominion.The diocese was secularized in 1803.Sigmund Christoph von Zeil und Trauchburg was the last prince-bishop to utilize the palace.The coat of arms is still visible on the castle portal.The castle was auctioned off to the sacristan Anton Neumayer in 1811.

In 1932, Gerty von Hofmannsthal, the widow of Hugo von Hofmannsthal, purchased the property and initiated the restoration of the castle.She resided in that place alongside her son Raimund and his wife Elisabeth.In order to prevent the National Socialists from expropriating it, she had the intention of gifting the castle to her daughter Christiane and her husband, who were not classified as full Jews, shortly after acquiring it.Christiane had the option to sell the property to Gustav Kapsreiter, a family friend. However, despite the initial approval, the donation was ultimately not approved, leading to the family being expropriated.Kapsreiter’s attempts to acquire the property were unsuccessful. Instead, the sculptor Josef Thorak was able to take ownership. The von Hofmannsthal family regained ownership of Prielau Castle in 1947.

The Porsche family purchased the property in 1987 and transformed the castle into a hotel, offering a limited number of guest rooms and suites. The property offers a variety of amenities, including a park, a red deer farm, a private beach located on the northern shore of the lake, a golf course, a helicopter landing facility, and a wellness area equipped with a sauna, steam bath, and massage services. On the premises, there is a beautiful baroque chapel where approximately 30 to 40 weddings are celebrated each year. Andreas Mayer and his wife Anette Mayer have been managing the hotel since May 2004.