Schloss Ambras

Schloss Ambras is one of Austria’s finest renaissance palaces and accommodates Europe’s oldest art and armor collection. When Archduke Ferdinand II. (1529-1595) acquired the castle he greatly extended the original building, shifting the emphasis form fortress to palace. He also was the founder of the magnificent Ambras Collection, including the Armor Collection and the Art and Wonders Collection.

The palace complex comprises several buildings and is surrounded by beautiful parklands. The Hochschloss, a four-storey edifice, used to accommodate the living quarters. Today the building houses the Portrait Gallery with paintings of the Habsburgs and other. Over 200 paintings are displayed, among them precious works by such famous artists as Lukas Cranach, Anton Mor, Tizian, van Dyck and Diego Velásquez. The ground floor contains a collection of medieval paintings; the most precious exhibit is the St. Georg altar of Emperor Maximilian.

The impressive Renaissance Spanish Hall is a long room with a wooden inlaid ceiling and frescoes of the Tirolean nobles.
Every summer the palace provides the beautiful backdrop for the Festival of Early Music.

The Unterschloss was built in the 16th century and contains the Armor Collection, the Art Collection and the Antiquarium.

Schloss Ambras