At 122 years old, you can quite confidently call a house an old lady. In this case, a rather petite one – at least if you only take her charming façade and 313 m² plot into account. But the Petite Grande Dame has learned not to put all her charms on display right by the roadside.
This house has stood here in what is known as the Fellergraben since 1904. Klosterneuburg has long since grown up around it, buses now pass almost right outside the front door, and the town centre is just two or three stops away. The house itself has taken all of this in its stride. It is still standing there – with its charming natural-stone base, tall windows and a small front garden that sets it back just a little from the road. The main garden, meanwhile, has made itself comfortably at home, well protected behind the house.
From here, the road continues uphill towards the Ölberg. This means you can live pleasantly close to the centre while still being surprisingly quick to reach the point where Klosterneuburg becomes green and hilly again. At around 313 m², the plot is almost petite – but nicely manageable – and behind the house it offers everything a proper garden should: lawn, roses, mature shrubs, a garden shed and enough space for an outdoor table. Fortunately, it is not particularly demanding when it comes to maintenance, so there is no reason to give up on breakfast in the garden or a lazy afternoon outdoors.
The house is accessed from the side via a few steps. The actual entrance is through a nearly 10 m² enclosed veranda, which was added in the 1970s. There is enough room for coats, plants, bicycles or a small seating area, and it means you do not step straight through the front door and into the living space.
Inside, it quickly becomes clear that the understated exterior is selling the house a little short. Around 113 m² of living space are spread across the ground floor and the converted attic floor. The high ceilings on the ground floor, in particular, still recall the era in which the house was built. Some lovely original details have also survived – including old panelled doors, a large double door, ceiling roses and classic herringbone parquet flooring.
The kitchen is immediately to the left. At just under ten square metres, it is certainly ready for more than coffee and frozen pizza. There is room for a proper table, while the wide window looks out onto the garden, offering a glimpse of what is going on outside. The contrasting wooden ceiling adds a pleasantly cosy touch. Whoever is cooking certainly does not have to do it alone – this is a room where others can happily sit, keep you company and offer their advice.
The largest room on the ground floor is the approximately 25 m² living room. Two tall windows, herringbone parquet flooring and the wide double doors still give it the character of a classic period room. Even the wallpaper has a few stories to tell from decades gone by. Together with the crystal chandelier and an old pendulum clock, it creates a scene that would be difficult to recreate in a new-build home. Of course, the room can be furnished in a more contemporary way in the future – but personally, I would definitely leave a little bit of its past intact.
Directly next to it is another room of around 15 m², with the herringbone parquet continuing here as well. Whether it becomes a bedroom, library, study or quiet retreat is entirely up to its new occupants. A dignified old built-in wardrobe, both substantial and spacious, already provides plenty of storage.
On the garden side, another room was added over the years. At just under 15 m², it is bright and particularly versatile thanks to its direct access to the garden. It works equally well as a bedroom overlooking the greenery, a home office, guest room or second living room. Anyone who enjoys simply opening the door in the morning and stepping outside barefoot will probably know very quickly which room is going to be theirs.
The bathroom has also been updated to modern standards, with a window providing natural light and good ventilation. The WC is separate and accessed from the hallway.
A curved wooden staircase leads upstairs to the converted attic floor. Even the staircase hall, with its tall window and an old rounded arch detail, shows that practicality here has never had to come entirely without charm.
Upstairs, there is a surprisingly spacious room of around 20 m². Parquet flooring, light-coloured walls and a window at the gable end make it a peaceful bedroom or living space. Next to it is another small room of just under 11 m². Thanks to the skylight and an additional window, this elongated room is filled with natural light as well. It is practically made for use as a dressing or storage room, although it could just as easily become a small workspace, reading nook or children’s area. And whatever still does not find a place can always move into the additional attic storage space.
The house has been invested in time and again, renovated and gradually modernised over the years. Fortunately, this was done with enough restraint that not everything old disappeared in the process. The result is not some historical showpiece that you would be afraid to touch, but a home that has grown and evolved over time – with character, quirks and many different layers of history.
And because a house built in 1904 does not tell its story only upstairs, it is worth taking a look below as well. The building is partially basemented. Alongside the technical and utility areas, there is a small storage room with an authentic brick-vaulted ceiling and natural-stone walls. Here, the past is not merely decoration – it is genuinely still part of the house.
The Petite Grande Dame is made for people who are beginning to find an apartment a little too small, but a large house with a huge plot a little too much. For people who are perceptive enough to appreciate the beauty in things worth preserving, rather than automatically assuming that everything new is better. For those who do not see old walls, creaking stories and little quirks as flaws, but as the very things that give a house its character.
In short: a proper house – just without the full-time life commitment that usually comes with one.
Curious? I would be delighted to show you around.
Price: €525,000
The agent acts as a double broker.
