Ambras Castle

Ambras sits on a terrace on the edge of Innsbruck, converted from a medieval fort in the sixteenth century by Archduke Ferdinand II to house his wife, his armour and his collection. The lower castle holds the chamber of art and wonders, one of the oldest museum rooms in Europe still standing where it was built: coral, clockwork, carved miniatures, portraits of people the court found strange, all in the original cases. The Spanish Hall next door is a long timbered ballroom lined with full-length paintings of Tyrolean rulers. The upper castle keeps a Habsburg portrait gallery, and the gardens run downhill under old trees.

History

Documents of the 10th century already name an Amras or Omras, a fort in the south-west corner of Bavaria held by the Counts of Andechs; it was wrecked in 1133, and in 1248 the ruins passed by inheritance to Albert IV, Count of Tyrol. Archduke Ferdinand II, made ruler of Tyrol in 1564, had two Italian architects turn the medieval fortress into a Renaissance castle for Philippine Welser, whom he had married in secret, built the hall known since the 19th century as the Spanish Hall, and in 1589 added the Heldenrüstkammer for his armour of heroes, the first systematic display in the history of museums. After his death in 1595 his son Charles, Margrave of Burgau, let the castle and collections decline and sold them in 1606 to the emperor (Wikipedia, Ambras Castle).

What you'll find

• The chamber of art and wonders - the Renaissance collection of curiosities in its original room and cases.
• The Spanish Hall - the inlaid timber ceiling and the row of full-length ruler portraits.
• The armouries - the ceremonial and tournament armour gathered by Ferdinand II.
• The castle park - the wooded terraces and ponds below the walls, open beyond the ticketed rooms.

When to go

The full castle including the Spanish Hall opens from spring to autumn; in winter parts close and hours shorten, so check before travelling out. Weekday mornings are quiet. The park is free and pleasant in the evening. It suits a wet afternoon, since almost everything worth seeing is indoors.

What to expect

The collection rewards slow looking, and visitors expecting a furnished palace often leave puzzled by cabinets of oddities. Labelling is thorough in German and thinner in English. The hill is a bus ride out of the centre and the last stretch is uphill. In deep winter the best rooms may be shut altogether.

Nearby

Innsbruck old town is fifteen minutes away, and the Nordkette cable car leaves from the centre.

Key facts