Austria is rich in culture and traditions but some are more well-known than others. Dig deep into some of the lesser known cultural finds for a truly unique Austrian experience.
The abundant cultural treasures of Austria seem to be immeasurable, however they are not incomprehensible.
“High culture”, of course, is one, but there is also the “everyday culture” and lifestyle of the people who live here, as well as the culinary specialties served.
For some more obscure cultural treasures that you need to know about check out the recommendations below.
THE STYRIAN ARMOURY, GRAZ
The Collection of the Styrian Armoury contains arms and armour from the 15th to the 18th century.
Today the Styrian Armoury contains 32,000 objects including armour, firearms and cannons, staff and edged weapons, bullet moulds and powder flasks stored on four floors with more than 2000 square metres of exhibition space.
The pictures can’t do this one justice, purely based on the scale size of these weapons. You’ll have to add it to the list!
TYROL FESTIVAL ERL, TYROLEAN UNTERLAND REGION
The Tyrolean festival Erl, founded by Gustav Kuhn in 1997, has been held over 25 days in July in the Erl passion play house every year since 1998.
Over the space of two weeks around Christmas, visitors can enjoy musical highlights at the Winter Festival Erl. In summer the building is used as an alternative venue to the passion play house.
Basically, if you’re a music & arts lover – you can’t miss this one!
THE AMBRAS CASTLE, INNSBRUCK
Ambras Castle Innsbruck is one of the main attractions in Innsbruck, the capital of the Alps. Its cultural and historic significance is inseparable from the personality of Archduke Ferdinand II (1529-1595), who promoted the arts and sciences as a true Renaissance prince.
Today, the upper castle is home to the Habsburg Portrait Gallery, which features portraits from Albert III (1349-1395) to Emperor Francis I (1768-1835) over three storeys.
The collection contains over 200 portraits, including valuable works by famous artists, such as Lukas Cranach, Anton Mor, Tizian, Van Dyck and Diego Velásquez.
THE ARLBERG1800 RESORT & ART CENTRE, ARLBERG
Image: Arlberg1800 Resort
In a winter sports village 1,800 meters above sea level – art and concerts are not the first things that come to mind when you’re writing a to-do list.
But the Arlberg1800 Art and cultural program is one of the things that makes a vacation in Arlberg so unique. From classic and contemporary music events to cabarets, you can enjoy a taste of culture anytime of the year!
If you’ve got 2 days or 2 weeks, there is always something to see and experience from the art buffs to history geeks & everyone in-between. We can guarantee that no matter where you venture in your time in Austria or what you see, you will have a story to tell!
To discover more cultural experiences in Austria, visit the Austria Tourism website.
Written by Mel Bobbermien, a KARRYON contributor.