Tratzberg Castle

Tratzberg was a medieval fortress that burned in 1490 and was rebuilt from 1500 by the Tänzl family, silver-mine owners from Schwaz, and then by the Ilsung and Fugger families - so what stands is a Renaissance residence built by merchants rather than a defensive castle, with an arcaded courtyard and interiors that survive largely unaltered because the house was never modernised or sacked. The Habsburgersaal carries a painted family tree of the Habsburgs commissioned around 1508, with a hundred and forty-eight figures on branches spreading round the walls from Rudolf I - a piece of dynastic propaganda in paint. The Königinzimmer has intarsia panelling, and the armoury and the Gothic kitchen survive. The castle is privately owned and shown with an audio guide that has a children's version.

What you actually see

• The Habsburg family tree - 148 painted figures around the walls, about 1508.
• A merchants' Renaissance castle - built by silver-mine families, not nobles.
• Intarsia panelling - the inlaid woodwork of the queen's room.
• Unaltered interiors - never modernised, so the sixteenth century survives.

When to go

April to October; closed over winter. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Closed for the winter. Access is by audio-guided route only. The walk up from the car park is fifteen minutes; the shuttle costs extra. Photography inside is restricted.

Nearby

Schwaz silver mine is close; the Achensee and Karwendel are north.