CASTLE AMBRAS – INNSBRUCK
Habsburg Renaissance Palace of the Tyrol
Castle Ambras of Innsbruck is one of central Austria’s most popular attractions. This picturesque Renaissance era castle, with its precious art collections, and beautiful grounds make for a thrilling journey back in time. As the sovereign of the province of the Tyrol, the Archduke Ferdinand II in the late 16th Century (not to be confused the later one with the whole WWI thing), and the son of Emperor Ferdinand I, commanded that the old medieval fortress at Ambras, a suburb of Innsbruck should be turned into a palace for his wife Philippine.
He had married the daughter of a wealthy Augsburg non-royal, and though the marriage was recognized by the church, she was considered below the station of the Emperor and couldn’t live in the main Hofburg Palce (see Hofburg Palace Innsbruck). In the height of the renaissance as summer palaces became all the fashion of the royal classes, a country castle seemed the ideal choice. After she died young in 1580, Ferdinand ordered the construction of a museum to fill the palace with his world famous art collection. And as vampires have become all the rage in modern entertainment with a new movie about Dracula based on the connection it Vlad the Impaler, while the Habsburgs don’t have a close relation to the count Vlad Dracul, it is at Ambras castle where his famous portrait resides.
Visitors to the castle pass through the idyllic formal castle gardens with the Archduke’s Rustkammer armory housing his collection of medieval armaments including rare examples of 15th century jousting armor from the collections of Emperor Maximilian I, armor of 16th century Habsburg commanders, and weapons from the Thirty Years War. Armor of the famous knight Bartlmä Bon is compared next to the child suits of armor made for Ferdinand’s sons. A newly refurbished Turkish Chamber features rare leather mosaics and Ottoman military equipment, captured when the Austrian stopped the Muslim advance of Suleimon the Great at the walls of Vienna in 1529.
As become fashionable in the Renaissance, Ferdinand collected all sorts of precious and curious objects on view in the Chamber of Arts and Curiosities. Here on view are the late mediaeval pear-wood sculpture, the Tödlein, or Figurine of Death, alongside elaborately turned ivory works from the Orient and together with scientific objects and musical instruments. Here is the famous portrait of Count Vlad III, some suggest as Bram Stoker’s inspiration for Dracula, as well as the curious portrait of the Hirsuit Man, the hair covered natural curiosity that may have inspired the story of the other popular scare story of the Wolfman.
One of the most impressive rooms of the castle is the famed Spanish Hall With its original frescoes and Europe’s largest self-supporting wood-inlay ceiling, making it one of the most architecturally significant and beautiful halls of the Renaissance period to be found in Europe and still used to this day for its original purpose as a stunning venue for concerts and other events. The medieval portion remaining of the old castle can be seen in the Gothic sculptures of the castle keep which served as a fortified defense tower and refuge during times of siege. One of the masterpieces of the medieval period is the Altar of St. George dating from the time of Emperor Maximilian I. The Habsburg Portrait Gallery covers three floors with almost 200 portraits of various members of Europe’s most important ruling houses from the 15th through the 19th century, with works by famous artists including Peter Paul Rubens, Van Dyke, Lucas Cranach the Younger, Anton Mor, Titian, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and Diego Velázquez, among others.
Take a stroll through the castle grounds, still as it was in Emperor Ferdinand’s day the park remains a popular venue for receptions and functions with games, dancing, and fine dining. A garden growing medicinal plants and herbs has also been laid out based on Philippine’s Pharmacopeia. The Bacchus Grotto is a man-made grotto where guests at the court of Emperor Ferdinand would be welcomed with a ‘tasting’. The peacocks that roam the Ambras castle grounds are as popular today as they were in the 16th Century as this castle set in the midst of a game park with rocky ridges, ravines, bridges and artificial waterfall.
Visiting Castle Ambras
The castle is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, closed in November. Admission for adults is €10 from April to October and €7 from December to March. Admission is free for children and teens up to 19 years, one of the best castle deals around for a family. One hour guided tours are offers for €65, and group theme tours are available. The castle is just outside the main city of Innsbruck, accessible with city tram lines 3 and 6, bus line C and Postal bus 4134. In summer months the city tourist bus “The Sightseer” stops at the right outside. © Bargain Travel Europe
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Schloss Ambras
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SEE ALSO:
INNSBRUCK
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HUNGERBURG FUNICULAR & NORD PARK CABLE CAR
EMPEROR TOMB - KAISERGRUFT VIENNA
IMPERIAL TREASURE CHAMBER VIENNA
