Porsche magnate Wolfgang Porsche has made a dramatic U-turn over his plans for a £8.6 million private tunnel through the hills of Salzburg, Austria. The 500-metre underground link was intended to provide exclusive access to an eight-car subterranean garage at his historic Paschinger Schlössl villa – but sparked widespread public outcry, with locals branding it the 'tunnel for one'. Now, after months of protests and controversy, Porsche has put the villa on the market for £11 million, complete with the still-valid planning permission for the tunnel that was at the centre of the furore.
The saga began in 2020 when Porsche acquired the 17th-century villa – once home to renowned Jewish writer Stefan Zweig, who fled Austria in 1934 – for £7.2 million. Despite securing planning permission from Salzburg city authorities last autumn, Porsche's ambitious vision for the tunnel ignited incredulity and anger among residents. Protesters highlighted the property's historic significance, its charm lying in its inaccessibility to cars, reachable only by climbing over a hundred steps up the Kapuzinerberg hill.
The public backlash, which included protests against perceived inequality amidst a local housing shortage and rising rents, contributed significantly to Porsche's change of heart. Slogans such as 'A city for everyone instead of a tunnel for one' became prominent during the height of the protests last year. City authorities confirmed they could not afford to purchase the villa to convert it into a Zweig museum – a long-held aspiration for many campaigners.
Now, estate agents are enticing potential buyers with the 'remarkable, approved private tunnel project' and 'unique annex for underground garage', claiming it elevates the property into 'an unparalleled feature within historic Salzburg'. The permission is valid until the end of 2028, requiring any new owner to act swiftly. While opponents celebrate the apparent victory, the Green party in Salzburg is urging city authorities to withdraw the planning permission altogether – arguing it has artificially inflated the property's value.
A real estate manager for Porsche confirmed the sale to Austrian media, describing the controversy as an 'envy-driven debate' but declining to elaborate on Porsche's specific motivations for abandoning the project. The fate of the Paschinger Schlössl villa and its 12 rooms remains uncertain – but one thing is clear: the £11 million price tag will not deter buyers seeking a piece of Salzburg's history, albeit with a contentious caveat.