Mondsee: Sound of Music lake in Austria faces an uncertain future after heiress cancels leases

The controversy centres on Anna Mathyl, 48, who inherited ownership of the lakebed and parts of the surrounding land at the iconic Moon Lake (Mondsee) from her mother, the unofficially titled Baroness Nicolette Waechter, in 2024.

Mathyl is a direct descendant of Bavarian Field Marshal Carl Philipp von Wrede, who was granted the estate by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810 for his military service.

The inheritance includes not only the entire lakebed of the 14.2-square-kilometre Mondsee, but also several parcels of land along its shores, such as the historic Hoeribachhof estate in St. Lorenz.

These holdings have remained in the family, now known as the Almeida-Waechter line, for over two centuries.

The lake's long and unusual path into private hands began in 1791, when the monastery which owned it and the surrounding fields and forests was dissolved.

The assets were transferred to a state-managed Religious Fund, and in 1810, Napoleon granted the Mondsee estate to Field Marshal von Wrede as a reward for his alliance and military support. The transfer included the lakebed, forests, farmland, and noble residences.

That imperial gift, made during Napoleon’s restructuring of Europe, has astonishingly never been undone. The lakebed and related lands were passed down through generations of von Wrede's descendants, eventually to Nicolette Waechter, and now to her daughter, Anna Mathyl.

In recent weeks, Mathyl issued handwritten letters invoking a special termination right under Austrian civil law to cancel long-standing leases and rental agreements, affecting everything from piers and moorings to cabins and lakeside access points.

While public access to the lake for swimming and sailing is still protected under Austrian law, locals fear the changes could erode traditional, long-enjoyed freedoms and limit practical access to the water.

Officials in Mondsee confirmed they were caught off guard by the move.

Mayor Andreas Hammerl of neighbouring St. Lorenz said even the municipality’s own lease for a six-square-metre pier was included in the terminations.

Although he expressed hope for a "constructive solution," others noted that the letters arrived without warning, sparking widespread unease.

The region, famous for its turquoise waters and dramatic Alpine backdrop beneath the Drachenwand (Dragon Wall) mountains, has long been a magnet for tourists and filmmakers.

In The Sound of Music, the wedding of Maria and Captain von Trapp was filmed at Mondsee Abbey, a grand baroque church in the town, which once formed part of the very monastery that owned the lake before its dissolution.

Mathyl has so far declined to give a full statement, but told regional media she plans to present a vision for the “ecological and economically sustainable” use of the lake.

Local reports suggest that under the previous ownership, the estate’s management had become inconsistent, with some tenants not invoiced for years, while others were charged erratically or twice.

This is apparently part of the motivation for the reorganisation under the former owner's daughter.

The decision to cancel dozens of leases. right in the middle of peak tourist season, has left many in the lakeside community reeling, and raised deeper questions about who should control Austria's most treasured natural landmarks.

As one of the country’s most famous and photographed lakes, it is only a short distance from Salzburg, with critics fearing that private inheritance is beginning to outweigh public interest.

Story: NewsX