Schloss Gabelhofen in Fohnsdorf, in the Murtal valley of Styria, hosts seminars, conferences and receptions for up to 200 guests, with 43 bedrooms in the same moated castle.
Seminars and company events
The castle sells meeting space for formats that range from a small workshop to a product presentation. Six rooms are listed for business use, all with Wi-Fi. The larger ones add projection equipment, ceiling speakers, air conditioning and electric curtains. Flipchart, pinboard and a facilitation case come with the seminar rooms, and a screen or projector can be added in the smaller ones. The castle presents its seminar technology as modern, set inside a historic building.
Rooms and capacities
The Friedrich Nietzsche Saal is the largest seminar room, at 167 m². It seats up to 200 in cinema layout, 70 in parliament layout, 50 in a block and 40 in a U shape, and takes 120 for a standing reception. The room can be divided. The Sigmund Freud Saal measures 63 m² and holds up to 50 people, or 25 in parliament layout and 16 in a U shape. It can also be divided.
The Galerie spreads over two levels on 287 m². It is used for receptions, presentations and gala dinners, with room for 200 guests standing or 168 at banquet tables. For smaller groups there are three more rooms. The Pfanngauer Saal (75 m²) seats 28 in a block. The Gabelkhoven Saal (54 m²) seats 12 and has stone columns and wooden ceilings. The Weinkeller (25 m²) is a vaulted cellar for 14 guests, suited to aperitifs and private dinners. The two largest seminar rooms and the Galerie are listed as wheelchair accessible.
Accommodation
The castle has 43 rooms and suites, so most seminar groups can stay on site. The categories on the website are the Brückenzimmer (about 25 m², one or two guests), the Doppelzimmer (about 25 m², up to three guests, in the main house or above the entrance in the castle wall), the Doppelzimmer Deluxe (about 30 m², up to three guests), the Junior Suite (about 45 m², up to four guests) and the Turm Suite (about 75 m², up to four guests, on several levels). Hotel guests receive free entry to the thermal spa, which is a short walk away.
Catering
The castle kitchen works with regional and seasonal ingredients and is described on the site as a Haube kitchen, a distinction from the Austrian restaurant guides. The restaurant is open daily, with lunch from 12:00 to 13:30, an afternoon menu until 17:30 and dinner from 18:00 to 20:30. The castle also runs a bar, a café and a wine cellar, which gives groups several settings for breaks and evenings.
History and setting
The castle was first mentioned in 1443. A bridge crosses the former moat, and the building is a listed monument that now serves as a hotel and seminar venue. It belongs to the TAUROA group, which runs several venues in Styria, Salzburg and the Salzkammergut.
Getting there
Schloss Gabelhofen stands at Schlossgasse 54 in Fohnsdorf. Graz is 85 km away, Vienna 208 km, and the Red Bull Ring is 13 minutes away. The AQUALUX thermal spa can be reached on foot.
