Travel to Austria

Landesmuseum Joanneum

In the 17th century, today's "Johanneum" was known as "Lambrechter Hof," after its first owner. In 1811, Habsburg Archduke Johann took control of the building and donated his scientific collection as the basis of the museum's exhibitions. Soon after, the collection was made available to the public and was  expanded. Presently, the main building of the Johanneum in No.10 Raubergasse houses the geology, zoology, mineralogy and botany departments as permanent exhibits. The Alte Galerie also shows visiting exhibits. A nice cultural place to spend a few hours in.

The Uhrturm

The Uhrturm is not only pleasent to the eyes, but it is home to one of the oldest bells in the country. And, it doesn't just stop at that. It serves a practical function. The hands of the clock work the other way round; the small hand shows the minutes and the big one the hours, making it much easier to read. The Uhrturm was constructed in 1560 and the bell rung to announce impending executions; later it indicated the closing hour for pubs and cafes.

Bergisel Ski Jump

Two aspects of the ski jump that make it more than a ski jump, and therefore, more fulfilling to visit, are the architecture of the new mountaintop building, and the small café contained in it. The ski jump was rebuilt and reopened in 2002. The architect was the famous Zaha Hadid, of London. The building is a work of art visible from all parts of town. It is definitely a source of pride for local folks. The top of the jump and the café have a spectacular 360 view north to Innsbruck and the Karwendel range, and south to Brenner Pass and Italy. I can highly recommend the hot chocolate. It is easy to reach the Bergisel Ski Jump by using the new Sightseer tourist shuttle from town (see overview for details on shuttle). The entrance fee is €6 for adults, €3 for kids age 6-14, and free under age 6. Entrance is free to holders of the Innsbruck Card (see overview). Hours are 9am-5pm daily. Guided tours are available, but in my opinion are unnecessary. The site is self-explanatory and the history is available in the brochure

Österreichische Galerie

The Belvedere Palace, designed in baroque style in the early eighteenth century by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt for Prince Eugene of Savoy, is home to the Austrian Gallery. The Upper Belvedere houses pieces of Austrian art from the 19th and 20th centuries. The remarkable collection contains paintings by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Hans Makart, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Richard Gerstl and many others. The Museum of Medieval Art and the Baroque Museum are situated in the Lower Belvedere. Romanesque and gothic wood sculptures and altar panels and a comprehensive collection of works by Maulbertsch, Messerschmidt and Donner can be visited in the splendid summer residence of this former military commander. After visiting the Museum, don't miss a walk through the elegant parks and also the Alpine Gardens. Admission fee: EUR7.

Schloss Hellbrunn

Schloss Hellbrunn is located in Salzburg, it is an early Baroque palace built in the 17th century by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg Markus Sittikus. It was intended as a day residence in summer, since the Archbishop usually returned to Salzburg in the evening, for there is no bedroom. This palace is famous for its watergames in the grounds, a great tourist attraction specially in the summer months.

Graz Cathedral

The exterior of the cathedral looks very sober today. In the Gothic period, however, the façades were covered with paintings. One fresco has been preserved - the so-called Gottesplagenbild ("God's Plagues"). It refers to a year of horrors Graz suffered in 1480. The town was struck by three plagues which were considered to be God's punishment - locusts, war and the Black Death. The painting has to be seen as a plea to God for forgiveness and reconciliation. The painter Thomas von Villach arranged the Holy Trinity, saints and the hierarchy of angels as well as the three plagues like an impressive drama demonstrating God's wrath and the plea for mercy, all underlined by medieval "balloons".
The interior of the cathedral hormoniously combines Gothic architecture with Baroque furnishing. The frescos in the church date from the times of Emperor Frederick III. Among them: a fragment showing St. Christopher, clearly recognizable as Frederick wearing the Styrian ducal crown.

The Jesuits, who owned the church for nearly 200 years, had it furnished in magnificent Baroque by the best local and foreign artists. The splendid high altar was designed by Georg Kraxner. But also the pulpit, the choir stalls and the pews are of impressive quality.
Among the most precious objects in the cathedral are the two reliquaries to the left and the right of the chancel entrance. Originally the chests belonged to Paola Gonzaga. In 1477 she married Leonhard of Gorizia and brought along her bridal chests from her native Mantua to Leonhard's castle Bruck near Lienz in East Tyrol. Inlays in bone and ivory represent a poem by Petrarca - "I Trionfi". The artist Andrea Mantegna is assumed to have made them. The couple died without having children. The Jesuits in Graz finally inherited the chests and used them as reliquaries for bones of Christian martyrs.
The organ of the cathedral was built in 1978. All the 5,354 pipes are played and the 73 stops are pulled out at services and organ concerts. It seems like  a museum more than a cathedral but it's a must if you are in Graz.

Gösting Castle

The ruins of the Gösting Castle rise up where the Mur River Valley opens up into Graz. Built in this strategic position between the 11th and the 15th centuries, the castle could control all traffic into Graz. In 1925, the Castle Society was founded to attempt to prevent further destruction after years of neglect and fires during the 18th and 19th centuries. Rising 200 meters over the Mur River, Gösting Ruins offers great views over Graz.
A nice ride to make in your family vacations, the kids will love it if you make it a story.

Austrian National Library

The Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, or the Austrian National Library is the largest library in Austria, located in Vienna, and holds 7.4 million items in its collections. The library was founded by the Habsburgs, and you will find among its collections manuscripts, ancient and rare books, papyri, maps, globes, music, portraits, graphics, photographs, autographs and posters as well as works in and on Esperanto and other artificial languages.

Volkstheater

The Volkstheater founded in 1889 in Vienna, by the request of its citizens, to have a "popular theater". It was designed by Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, with the idea of exposing classical and modern literature for the "common" citizens of Vienna. The theater follows this tradition in present days, with new production of classics.

The Riesenrad

The Riesenrad was the first Prater attraction to gain international fame. Conceived by an English engineer at the time of Franz Josef's Diamond Jubilee in 1895, construction began in 1896 and ended in 1897 when it was opened in July of that year. Although not the first ferris wheel ever to be built, it was the world's largest and apparently still is. Unlike the ferris wheels one usually sees in the average amusement park or carnival (traveling fun fair), the Riesenrad has cabins, nearly as large as a tram, that revolve very, very slowly affording passengers superb views and protection from the elements. It takes 10 minutes for the wheel to make one revolution, so even if you don't normally trust such rides, this is the one you can't say no to!