Historic town tower

A piece of history is looking for new residents

The tower with the gate was part of the fortifications in historic Rattenberg. Until 1839, the old wooden bridge crossed the Inn from here.

(Bild: zVg)

Three storeys, six by six meters long and several centuries old: a tower that has been converted into an apartment is for sale in the small Tyrolean town of Rattenberg. Anyone moving in here will be living directly above an old town gate - not the only curiosity about the building.

Who didn't dream of living in a castle or palace as a child? Well, in Rattenberg, although not an entire knight's estate, at least a tower is being sold. Specifically, the former town gate tower, which was part of the town fortifications for centuries. A few years ago, the building directly on the Inn was converted into a residential building.

"For someone who loves antiquity, this is really great," says estate agent Harald Knoll. The kitchen, bathroom, living room and three bedrooms are spread over three floors, plus there is a first floor and an attic with a terrace. Purchase price according to Knoll: 770,000 euros.

It is generally noticeable that interest rates are high and the conditions for loans are difficult.

Makler Harald Knoll

There is also little demand for this property
However, you can't really spread out in the building with a side length of roughly six by six meters: the total living space is around 70 square meters. Estate agent Knoll does not believe that the tower has not yet found a buyer because of its small size. Nor is it due to the listed building status that applies to the exterior of the 14th century building: "There's nothing coming up in the near future." Instead, Knoll points to the generally difficult situation on the market: "You can see that in all properties. Interest rates are high and the conditions for loans are difficult."

However, Knoll has no doubt that the tower will find an owner. Managing the sale of such a property is always something special for him. "We have properties like this about once a year," he says. "It's always something nice that I enjoy doing."