Innsbruck Tourismus
Press Release
Ambras Castle – historic residence and magical treasure trove
Noble portraits, sparkling glass, natural beauty and fabulous feasts
Perched on a hill to the south of Innsbruck, Ambras Castle counts among the Tyrol’s
most splendid historical buildings. Its distinctive characteristics of today date back to
the 16th century, when Archduke Ferdinand II had it transformed into a Renaissance
castle for himself and his wife Philippine Welser.
Exquisitely furnished living quarters were incorporated in the Hochschloss – the
Upper Castle - including Philippine Welser’s famous bathing chamber. The adjacent
Spanish Hall is considered to be one of the most magnificent freestanding halls of the
Renaissance. Its magnificent layout is dominated by 27 full-length fresco portraits of
the sovereigns of the Tyrol region. Each summer the hall provides the festive setting
for music performances in the framework of the Ambras Castle Concerts and the
Innsbruck Festival of Early Music. Besides measuring a remarkable 43 metres in
length the splendid hall features exquisite wood-panelled ceilings which are partly
covered in gold leaf and adorned with elaborate marquetry.
The Habsburg portrait gallery is just one of the numerous attractions of the Upper
Castle’s collections, with more than 200 paintings not only allowing insights into the
history of the Habsburg dynasty but also providing a magnificent overview of courtly
portrait painting, from the late Gothic era to the neo-classical period. Here visitors can
admire works by such renowned artists as Lukas Cranach, Tizian, Anton van Dyck
and Velazquez, to name but a few.
Intriguingly titled The Post is Here!, a permanent exhibition featuring ten fascinating
postmaster portraits from the honourable house of Taxis-Bordogna has been taking
visitors on a fascinating discovery tour since 2012. From the 15th century onwards, the
Taxis-Bordogna family had successfully established a reliable postal service between
influential territories of the Italian peninsula and – at a later stage – throughout the
entire Habsburg empire. This lucrative line of business was continuously expanded
and remained in the hands of the Taxis-Bordogna family until Empress Maria Theresa
decided to nationalize the postal service. As a result of Carlos Tasso de SaxeCoburgo e Bragança’s generous gift of ten commemorative portraits to the Austrian
Innsbruck Tourismus
Silvana M. Giuliani
International Marketing & Press
Tel. +43 512 / 59 850 - 123
s.giuliani@innsbruck.info
Innsbruck Tourismus
Press Release
Kunsthistorisches Museums, Ambras Castle is able to pay tribute to the early days of
transport and postal services together and to showcase numerous relevant historical
objects and documents provided by the Taxis-Bordogna family.
Another recent permanent show awaits visitors at the Upper Castle with the
remarkable Strasser Glass Collection, assembled by Professor Rudolf Strasser
during the course of more than fifty years.Now the majority of items is on display at
Ambras Castle, while a smaller part of the collection can be viewed at the Vienna
Kunstkammer museum. The precious Renaissance and Baroque glass objects
manufactured at leading European glass-making centres such as Venice, Bohemia or
Silesia provide fascinating insights into the early years of glass production and the
development of various techniques and artistic styles.
The majority of the castle treasures, however, can be found in the Unterschloss, the
Lower Castle, which consists of a granary - the ‘Kornschütt’ - and three
interconnecting museum buildings. Archduke Ferdinand II passionately collected
works of art and displayed parts of his extensive collections at Ambras Castle in a
rather novel, conceptual approach. During the Renaissance period a wide range of
items was considered rare and valuable. Thus the collections contain paintings and
armoured suits, precious works of art and curiosities from faraway lands, rare scientific
instruments such as a compass mounted on a pedestal, alongside exotic artefacts
including a Ryukyu bowl, corals and shells. The Art and Curiosities Chambers also
feature portraits of human beings with unusual traits, such as the ‘hairy people’, who
were considered rare oddities at the time. To this day the display of the castle’s
priceless collections continues to pay tribute to the original intentions of Ferdinand II.
From 1566 until 1570, the castle grounds were transformed into a park in order to
provide an appropriate setting for the Archduke’s summer residence. Initially
conceived as a game park, the eastern part of the grounds with its mixed forest, rocks
and gullies, footpaths, bridges and man-made waterfall still bears most of its original
traits. The enchanting, landscaped garden sections to the north and west of the castle
were created by Archduke Karl Ludwig in the 19th century and remain immaculately
maintained to this day. The former kitchen garden – or Keuchengarten – just below
Innsbruck Tourismus
Silvana M. Giuliani
International Marketing & Press
Tel. +43 512 / 59 850 - 123
s.giuliani@innsbruck.info
Innsbruck Tourismus
Press Release
the Spanish Hall building is particularly charming, featuring a variety of kitchen herbs
and a small pond.
Each year, on August 15th, the castle grounds provide the enchanting setting for the
annual Renaissance Festival. During this popular event, kids and adults alike embark
on a journey back in time as the park comes alive with colourful characters such as
stilt walkers and jesters, story tellers and musicians.
Since events at Schloss Ambras are very popular, parking space can get scarce – but
fortunately visitors can easily access the castle by public transport or even by bicycle:
Besides the Sightseer city tour bus also the local bus towards Tulfes stops right by
the entrance gate. An alternative – and quite sporty - option to get to Ambras castle is
by bicycle. ‘Die Börse’, a sports equipment rental shop based in Leopoldstrasse, rents
out conventional models as well as trendy e-bikes.
Information: Ambras Castle, tel. +43 1 52524-743, info.ambras@khm.at,
www.schlossambras-innsbruck.at
Innsbruck Tourismus
Silvana M. Giuliani
International Marketing & Press
Tel. +43 512 / 59 850 - 123
s.giuliani@innsbruck.info