Cultural sightseeing in Austria. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

» The 16th-century white-stone castle stands on an alpine hill. It was used by royals as a recreation house.
»  There used to be a medieval fortress on the site. Italian architects had to turn the citadel into a palace.
»  The archduke was keen on collecting unusual artifacts. The bottom level of the building has a collection of old weapons, printed publications, and manuscripts. The sculptural compositions of horsemen and horses are of interest. All riders are dressed in combat gear.
»  One of the halls exhibits 200 portraits of the Habsburg dynasty representatives painted by famous artists.
»  The Chamber of Art and Wonders is sort of an exhibition of images depicting unusual characters, for example, the sketches of Vlad Dracula. The Death figurine is made of real bone.
»  The monarch fulfilled his idea of a specific location of objects. The area dedicated to art has lots of caskets, statuettes, bronze items, and crafts from shrubs with openwork carving. The items of the same structure (wood, metal, silver) are placed side by side. A colour background is chosen for each of them: gold glitters against blue; wooden items are located against red; stones look better against green.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » One of the most significant monasteries in Europe with paintings of angels is located near the city park. The temple belongs to the monastery Order of Eternal Worship.
»  According to the remaining belief, the founder of the community saw a heavenly angel. It was dressed in a snow-white robe when the woman saw it.
»  The exterior is abundantly painted with coloured frescoes picturing God’s messengers in colourful clothes and the elders holding precious bowls and scrolls in their hands. The wall paintings depict the scenes from the biblical life of saints. The composition is crowned with a deep-blue rose.
»  The cathedral is easily recognizable due to its religious facade design.
»  The church has a bell tower.
»  It’s calm and peaceful in the cosy hall. The place is suitable for spiritual purification and confession.
»  The Church of Eternal Worship belongs to Catholicism, the religion with more than 1,000 years of history. It was formed in the monasteries of Europe in the 9th century.
»  The custom of eternal worship is based on the fact that bread and wine are sanctified during the Christian rite and symbolize the body and blood of the Lord. Thanks to communion, the Orthodox reunite with God.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Anif Palace is located in the suburbs of Salzburg. The building is surrounded by an artificial pond and linked with the land only by a narrow path. There are no specific data on the palace. However, a castle that was located here in 1520 is mentioned in some documents.
»  Bishops had lived in the castle until 1803. Then, the castle came to Count Stepperg who had rebuilt the building for 10 years until 1848.
»  Then, the palace belonged to the niece of the count, Sophie de Sons. Halls of the palace have a luxurious interior. The walls are decorated with frescoes of Grünwedel. The Bayern sculptor Ludwig Michael von Schwanthaler made the sculpture “Nymph of the Rhine”.
»  During the war, the Wehrmacht units were accommodated here, followed by American ones.
»  Nowadays, the castle still belongs to heirs of the de Sons and is in private ownership. However, you can walk and admire landscapes in the part around the castle. In the territory of the park, several films were shot: “The Great Race”, “The Sound of Music”, “Cinderella”, etc.
»  In 2001, owners of the castle decided to sell some pieces of antique furniture at the Sotheby's auction in Amsterdam. Some pieces were returned to Salzburg and presented in the Museum Carolino-Augusteum.

» Kapuzinerkirhe is the church and monastery of the Capuchin Order in Vienna.
» The Capuchin Church is famous for its Imperial Crypt that is the resting place of Habsburg emperors and members of their families.
» Twelve emperors, nineteen empresses and many other members of Habsburgs (137 people) are buried in the crypt.
» Last burial in the tomb was in 2011, when the last crown prince of Habsburg, Otto von Habsburg, lost his life.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The church has unique religious objects preserved. There is a work by a German Renaissance painter – Madonna and Child. The icon is called Maria Hilf and is located in the centre of the altar. The carved frame is gilded.
»  There’s a tomb of Maximilian III, an archduke from the Austrian dynasty (1620). There is an organ in the room. Its shining tubes stand out against a dark blue background. The organ is dressed in a wooden case. Columns rise in the hall. They are made of pink marble. The walls are covered with frescoes.
»  The cathedral was constructed between 1717 and 1724. There is evidence that there used to be a 12th-century church on this site. Pilgrims found shelter in it.
»  The earthquake of 1689 destroyed the building. Thirty years later, it was restored.
»  Another major reconstruction took place in the 1960s. The building was seriously damaged during the Second World War artillery strike.
»  The facade is decorated with arch-shaped window openings.
»  The church has two bell towers. One has a working clockwork. The watch is over 300 years old. The other one has 48 bells. They ring at noon glorifying the world.

» The Church of St. Leopold is the Roman Catholic church built on the site of the Vienna Psychiatric Hospital.
» The church is dedicated to the patron of Austria, St. Leopold.
» Interior was created keeping in mind that most of parishioners were psychiatric patients. All corners inside the church are rounded, and the altar is separated from the main hall.
» The temple provides separate access for men and women; it has special service outlets for medical evacuations.
» The ceiling under the main dome of the church is adorned with symbols of the four evangelists, and stained-glass windows are decorated with images of saints.

» Hellbrunn Palace was built upon the order of Prince-Archbishop Markus von Hohenems in 1615. Originally, it was a summer residence. The prince had lived in Italy and loved Italian architecture since childhood. So, he invited Italian architects to build the residence.
»  Besides the castle, the Monatsschlössl Hunting House, the stone outdoor theatre carved in a rock cleft, and the Mechanical Theatre, where 265 statues of people of different professions are set in motion by the water, were built.
»  There is also a park with ponds, fountains, statues, and figurines of animals. Its total area is 60 hectares. Water entertainments are available due to the water of natural streams running down from the mountain. There are no such constructions in the world.
»  The palace and the park has survived to this day. Here, festivals, celebrations, international conferences, and seminars are held.
»  In 1961, a zoo was opened in the palace. It is very popular with tourists.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Church of the Sacred Heart is architecturally similar to the nearby historic buildings. Together with them, the church forms an architectural ensemble of the city.
»  The construction of the monastery had been planned to begin at the end of the 18th century. But the military events of 1812 and difficulties with financing slowed it down.
»  Another hundred years passed, and the construction finally began.
»  The interior is filled with luxury. There are a lot of gilding and velvet finishing. The wall panels and dome are decorated with art paintings. Sparkling lamps in the form of candlesticks create the illusion of antiquity. The stained glass has a painting from the saints’ life.
»  The house of God is daily open for worship, and there’s time reserved for confessions.