Eggenberg Castle and Park (Schloss Eggenberg) in Graz. Eggenberg Castle in Graz Eggenberg Castle

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It is impossible to talk about the sights of Graz without talking about Eggenberg Castle: this is one of the most famous castles in Austria, it is considered one of the best examples of the Baroque style in the country.

The first building on this site was built at the end of the 15th century. It was built by the imperial financier as a personal estate. Then, in 1666, one of his descendants rebuilt the castle so that the old parts were practically invisible - this is the building we see now. Later, the interior decoration and layout of the premises were only changed, especially globally - in the 18th century, when the building was richly decorated in the Rococo style. It is worth noting that the best architects in Europe were involved in the decoration and construction here, so the result was completely unique. The castle is now occupied by the Landesmuseum Joanneum, the oldest museum in Austria.

Eggenberg Castle is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The building is rectangular in plan, 4 corners are decorated with towers, and another one was erected in the center - above the inner church. The mezzanine is occupied by state halls, there are 52 of them - according to the number of weeks in the year. The ceilings are decorated with paintings on themes of ancient mythology and biblical scenes. The second floor is also occupied by intricately connected rooms, 24 of them - according to the number of hours in a day. The rooms on the second floor converge into the Planetary Hall, decorated with paintings symbolizing the signs of the zodiac. All rooms are very sophisticated and intricately decorated in Rococo or Baroque styles.

The building is very well preserved. All the interior decoration, furniture, paintings, many antique objects and much more have survived. This level of preservation is very rare.

You can walk around looking at the details of the ceiling paintings or fancy stucco moldings for a very long time. Together with the buildings of the Old Town, Eggenberg Castle is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The house is surrounded by a huge park, which also has a lot of things. Parts of the garden are made in different styles - they were rebuilt along with the house according to current fashion, but they are well preserved, and walking there is a pleasure.

Castle and its collection

Practical information

Official address: Schloß Eggenberg, Eggenberg, Graz. You can get here by tram number 1.

You can just go to the museum, but viewing only the building is possible with a tour. They run once an hour from 10:00 to 16:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. You can also explore the garden and museum on your own and are open from 8:00 to 19:00 from April to October and until 17:00 in other months.

A ticket to the castle alone costs 13 EUR, so it is more profitable to buy a daily ticket to the Joanneum Museum for 16 EUR; it gives you the right to enter all parts of the museum (buildings and exhibitions, there are many of them and all are good) for 24 hours.

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

Eggenberg Palace (Eggenberg Schloss), built in the 17th century, is a real pearl of Austria. The Eggenberg Garden and Castle are the must-see attractions of the city of Graz in Styria.

Eggenberg Palace (begun 1625) was intended as a political statement. The construction of a large residence meant the legitimization of the ruling aristocratic dynasty in these parts. The house was built as a huge allegory, a symbolic representation of the universe, where the intellectual count expounded his concept of an ideal world in an era of chaos and decay. Eggenberg Castle was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.

LOCATION

Eggenberg Castle is located on the outskirts of Graz, a 15-minute ride by tram number 1 from Haupbahnhoff train station (in the opposite direction from the center).

During our stay in Graz, Natasha and I made a couple of attempts to visit the castle. The first, due to the marathon that was held in the city and the changed transport routes, was not successful.

On my last day in the city, I decided to take a chance and go to Eggenberg Castle. We were running out of time, since we had a train to Salzburg scheduled for 11-30 am. Natasha and I decided to split up: some to go shopping, and some to the palace. We agreed to meet at the hotel.

In general, I had 1.5 hours for everything (the road, visiting the palace).

At the station square I took tram number 1 and went to the castle. At this point, our three-day transport tickets in Graz had expired. In Austria, everything is so well thought out that every tram has a ticket vending machine! In general, I bought a ticket for 2 euros (which is valid for exactly 1 hour) and sat by the window with a clear conscience. The day turned out to be unusually sunny for October. A cheerful elderly German sat next to me on the tram. He confusedly told me his story about how he was once almost caught by a controller. All in all. Before I had time to look back, my stop was announced - “Eggenberg schloss”.

Getting off the tram, I was confused for about 30 seconds, since the palace was not visible nearby. But after walking about 20 meters from the stop, I saw a sign “Eggenberg schloss”. The journey from the tram stop to the palace takes no more than 7 minutes.

At the entrance to the garden there is a beautiful baroque gate. Behind the gate I noticed a ticket office where I had to buy an entrance ticket to the park (2 euros).

It should be noted that you can only get to the palace with a guided tour, which runs from 10-00 to 16-00 every hour (from April 2 to October 31). Since I had very little time, I postponed visiting the inner chambers for another time.

By the way, if you are planning to go for a walk, the map of the park will help you plan your walk. this way you will definitely not miss any objects.

For now, I decided to enjoy what I had - to explore the park and the castle from the outside. Walking along the main alley, I noticed that several peacocks were walking confidently along the emerald grass, without fear of passers-by. Among them there was even one albino - a completely white peacock. Beautiful birds seem to be harbingers of the beauty that awaits visitors further. The peacocks also hint at the oddities of the castle's founder, Count Herberstein, who built the castle as a sign of his rise to the imperial court.

There is a straight alley leading to the palace from the gate; it is impossible to get lost in the park.

IS IT WORTH GOING TO TOUR THE PALACE?

In order to fully understand and experience this place, knowledgeable people strongly recommend taking a tour of the castle. Eggenberg Palace contains many secrets and mysteries. For example, at the base of the castle is a medieval building, and the architecture of the castle itself is based on astronomical symbolism. The strange castle has 365 windows, exactly 31 rooms on each floor, 24 state rooms with 52 doors and 4 corner towers. The palace occupies exactly 365 meters in area. This magic of numbers contains the concepts of seasons, weeks, hours, minutes. The crown jewel of the interior is the Hall of the Planets (Planetensaal), which is also part of a complex concept.

In general, if you have time, be sure to visit the inner chambers.

HISTORY OF EGGENBERG CASTLE (EGGENBERG SCHLOSS)

At first glance, Eggenberg Palace appears to be an architectural structure from the 17th century. However, most of the building dates from the late Middle Ages. Around 1460, Balthasar Eggenberg, financier of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, purchased property in the west of Graz that was to become the family residence. In subsequent years, the castle was rebuilt by the count's descendants. The oldest building of the castle is the Gothic chapel of the castle, its construction date is 1470.

General Ruprecht von Eggenberg's younger cousin, Hans Ulrich, was a distinguished diplomat and statesman who directed the foreign policy of Emperor Ferdinand II. As prime minister (in modern terms) and a close confidant of Ferdinand II, Hans Ulrich wanted to build a grandiose residence reflecting his new status and authority; he was just appointed governor of lower Austria.

In 1625, Count Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg, inspired by a visit to El Escorial in Spain, commissioned the court architect Giovanni Pietro de Pomis to design his new palace

The architect masterfully incorporated the medieval residence into the new palace, and also supervised the construction of the palace until his death in 1631. Construction was continued by the architect Lorenz van de Sippe. Work continued for several more years. The building was completed by 1635-1636.

The interior of the castle is especially worth noting. The interiors of the 24 state rooms, made in the Baroque and Rococo styles (dating back to the 18th century), have survived to this day almost unchanged. The most notable is the collection of 500 paintings that adorn the halls.

At some point, the Eggenberg dynasty was interrupted, and the castle was inherited by their relatives, the famous aristocratic family of Herberstein, who owned the castle until 1939. The castle then passed to the government of Styria. In 1953, the museum in the castle already received its first visitors.

SYMBOLISM OF EGGENBERG CASTLE

Prince Eggenberg, who received a good education and grew up in a decent family, created a political utopia in his new residence - a symbolic world where all the knowledge, elements and forces of the Universe had to find their place. The architectural concept was to be admired and express the dignity and erudition of its builder and owner. As in all ideal states described in literature, Eggenberg Castle was supposed to be on an "island" that is separated from the rest of the world by a symbolic moat.

The architect creates a kind of copy of the Universe, where all elements must be integrated into the concept of cosmic harmony. The corners of the palace face each of the four cardinal directions so that the sun, which rises in the east, moves throughout the day along the walls of the palace, and the entire palace would be a huge sundial. Moreover, each façade was illuminated for a certain time of day. The layout of the rooms also had to be special. The palace is designed to reflect a powerful hierarchical order, from everyday life on the ground floor to the ideal world of ideas on the top floor. The center, the axis of the palace is the central tower, which rises above the entire palace, and which, together with the fountain and the chapel of the grotto, with the cave and the tower, leads to the unknown world of alchemical concepts.

EGGENBERG CASTLE PARK

In general, the gardens of Eggenberg Palace are considered a masterpiece of landscape art and are considered no less valuable than the palace itself. The first garden here was created in the 17th century; over time it changed, depending on the fashion and tastes of the castle owners. In the 20th century, the magnificent gardens fell into disrepair.

In 1993, in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Office for Cultural Heritage Management (Bundesdenkmalamt), a project began to restore the gardens in the vicinity of Eggenberg Castle. The pink slide in front of the palace, as well as the park behind the Palace, were restored. White and colored peacocks were again released into the gardens, as during the Eggenberg dynasty.

PLANETARY GARDEN

In the northern corner of the park, in a fenced-off area, there is a Planetary Garden. The park was recreated in 2000, thanks to the efforts of landscape architect Helga Törnqvist. (Helga Tornquist). No drawings of the old planetary garden have survived. An underground exhibition hall was opened next to the garden to house archaeological collections.

PRICE

Visit to the palace: Adult – 8 euros, reduced price – 6 euros, children 3 euros (under 6 years free)

Visit to the park (planetary garden, park): 2 euros, children 1 euro. Not included in the 24-hour museum ticket (Joanneum 24 hours-ticket).

EXCURSIONS

Visit to the interior of the palace (with a guide only)

Tours are conducted in English from Tuesday to Sunday: 10-00, 11-00, 12-00, 14-00, 15-00, 16-00. Duration – 50 minutes.

Groups from 5 to 30 people.

OPENING HOURS

Opening hours of the gallery, archaeological museum and coin room:

from November 1 to December 31, Wednesday-Sunday: 10-00 to 16-00. (closed from January 1 to March 31).

HOW TO GET THERE:

Eggenberg Castle, Eggenberger Allee 90, 8020 Graz, Austria. From the main train station you can take tram number 1 (go to the Eggenberg Schloss stop).

Official website of the museum

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Schloss Eggenberg) is not just an architectural pearl of Austria, its history is closely connected with many discoveries that were made during the period of its construction. This interesting building is attractive in appearance, and also designed in such a way that its image embodies the best of the Renaissance.

History of the “astrological” palace

The palace complex was designed and built for the famous Prince Hans Eggenberg. The palace walls were built by the famous architect and architect Giovanni Pietro de Pomisa. The architect was a student of the Venetian genius - the artist Iacolo Tintoretto.

In 1625 de Pomisa worked in Graz. There he received an order from the great adviser to King Eggenberg. Before starting to pour the foundation, the architect tried to find out as much as possible about the prince’s tastes. And having learned that he was interested in astrology, he designed the estate so that it would be as closely related to this science as possible.

What did Giovanni do to realize his idea? He put the following fundamentals into the architecture of the castle:

• 4 towers on the edges and 1 in the center. Designed to symbolize the change of seasons;
• 52 rooms. Refer to the number of weeks in a year;
• 24 utility rooms. Refers to the number of hours in a day;
• 365 windows. Reflect the sum of days in a year;
• Frescoes and garden. Made to embody astronomical iconography.

All of the above was created together to clearly show the movement of stars and time. The harmony of the universe is what the prince tried to convey in the entire appearance of his palace.

In 1635, construction of the castle was completed. But Prince Eggenberg was unable to see the project completed, as he had died by that time. Then the building was actively improved with finishing works until 1666. The prince's grandson supervised these works. The artist Weissenkircher painted more than 600 paintings and frescoes in the castle. Further transforming the interior decoration of rooms and halls.

Afterwards the castle was inherited by the Herbersteins, who were relatives of the Eggenbergs. In the 18th century, the castle garden was remodeled in the English style. And its furnishings were changed to Rococo style furniture. And this added a non-trivial charm to the building.

In 1939, Styria began to officially own this castle and the lands around it. Today this majestic structure is part of the artistic ensemble of Graz.

This palace is depicted on the 10 euro coin (issued 2002). On the back of this banknote, Johannes Kepler is minted with the model “The Secret of the Universe”.

There are peacocks in the Eggenberg garden. There is even one albino peacock. In addition to the main garden, in the castle grounds there is a separate Planetary Garden, under which there is an underground hall with various collections related to archeology.

The attractions of the palace complex also include a large collection of coins, including approximately 70,000 exhibits. They can be seen in the Mint of the palace complex.

What is worth seeing in the castle and its surroundings?

Eggenberg is famous not only for its chambers, but also for what is located around it. So on the territory of the complex you can find the following interesting objects:

• Playground;
• South Pavilion;
• Cafe;
• Pink slide;
• Master's Garden;
• Planetary Garden;
• Archaeological Museum;
• And the castle itself.

All these places are interesting and unique. The palace is in good condition. It is regularly restored and updated, trying to preserve its original appearance as much as possible.

Eggenberg: castle symbols

The prince ordered this building in honor of his rise up the career ladder. After all, being a personal adviser to Ferdinant II is not only prestigious, but also status. And it was precisely the new status that obliged the prince to have his own castle.

In addition to the political background, the construction of the palace is a reflection of the prince’s good taste, as well as the embodiment of his love for the exact sciences. The castle was built to convey the special harmony of the universe in the material world. And its central tower was called the axis of all things.

According to the architect's plan, sunlight from sunrise to sunset was supposed to fall into each window of the castle in turn. And the palace park had 12 gates, which are associated with the cardinal points and elements. Everything in this place was thought out to the smallest detail and had a sacred meaning.

Eggenberg is a castle devoid of pomp, but striking in its ingenious simplicity. Such a creation of human hands deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. Therefore, in the end, a museum was made in the castle, which became one of the most famous in Austria. Today, the direct descendants of Prince Eggenberg can no longer be found on earth, his line was interrupted, but his architectural creation still lives on. And it is an example of Austrian architectural taste of that era.

How much does it cost to visit the palace?

To visit the castle, an adult tourist must pay about 9 euros at the ticket office at the gate. A student card will cost around 5 euros, and a child pass will cost 4 euros. Until they reach the age of six, little visitors are allowed on excursions for free.

The attraction is open from April to October. Visiting hours: from 10 am to 17 pm.

You can visit the interior of the palace only with a guide. The tour lasts approximately 50 minutes and is conducted in English. A group of tourists can range from 5 to 10 people.

All reception hours and visiting procedures can be found on the official website of the museum. A visit to the park can be paid separately. For an adult, a ticket costs 2 euros, for a child – 1 euro.

Address: Eggenberger Allee 90, 8020 Graz, Austria

Telephone: +43 316 80179532

How to get to Eggenberg Castle?

The outskirts of Graz are famous for their picturesque landscapes, as well as the location of Eggenberg Castle. If you take tram number “1” from the train station in the direction opposite to the city center, then in about forty minutes there will be a stop “Eggenberg schloss”.

Having got off at the desired stop, you need to walk 20 meters to the sign of the same name. There you can see the road leading to the palace. The journey along it from the stop to the palace complex takes 7 minutes.

The history of Eggenberg Castle is like a story from a fairy tale book. The 12 months, seasons, days, hours and minutes live here invisibly. In honor of his appointment to a high post, Count Ulrich Eggenberg planned to build an unprecedented castle that would speak of his status, wisdom and greatness.

The court architect was given the task of realizing the dream of the vain count. Pietro de Pomis presented a brilliant innovative project - a model of the universe. Each tower, floors, number of rooms and windows - everything had its own meaning. The 4 towers represent the seasons, the 24 rooms on the first floor represent the number of hours in a day, and the number of windows represent 365 days a year. Even the park wall has 12 entrances according to the number of months. The architecture of the castle intertwined so many philosophical allegories and concepts related to mathematics, astronomy, and alchemy that it would be enough for an entire institute. Some parts of the castle resemble Buddhist buildings.

It is interesting that the customer of the castle himself did not live to see the completion of construction. The grandson completed the decoration after the death of his grandfather. The decoration of the lower rooms is almost completely preserved and dates back to the 18th century. There is a huge collection of paintings on the ceilings of the castle.

Currently, the residence functions as a museum. There is a huge numismatic collection here - 70 thousand. specimens, a hunting museum, a collection of valuable archaeological finds.

It is no less interesting to walk through the park, which was restored relatively recently and is a pearl of landscape art. There are many romantic, fascinating places and ponds here. What is especially impressive are the free-roaming peacocks. In spring and summer, the castle park is filled with music and flowers. Classical and jazz music festivals are not uncommon here. Lovers of chamber music will also be pleased to hear it in the halls of the castle by candlelight. The park is popular with couples in love who often book wedding photo shoots here.

Schloss Eggenberg Graz - VIDEO

MAP

Eggenberg Castle - PHOTO

The only thing I didn’t see in the glorious city of Graz was Eggenberg Castle, which is the largest aristocratic residence in Styria. It was already afternoon, I risked not being able to make it during the castle’s opening hours, so I had to hurry. The path to Graz station and then in the opposite direction to the west. The area of ​​the Eggenberg park and castle began there.

From the central part of the city to the castle we had to walk about 4 kilometers, of which the last one was completely suburban. Here you don’t even feel that this is the 2nd largest city in Austria. It’s quiet around, grannies with dogs are walking around (and looking closely at suspicious running tourists like me). People from universities return and go about their business. In general, a very relaxed suburban life. I haven't noticed any public transport here.

And here we come to the gates of the Eggenberg residence. There they sell me a ticket and warn me that everything inside the castle will work for at most another 40 minutes and that they say I need to have time to see what I want during this time. Yes, I know, I know, it’s my own fault with the morning train, otherwise I would have arrived earlier. But what to do, don’t turn around now, having walked so much.

Here it is, the pearl of the Unesco collection in Austria. We enter the courtyard.

In fact, there is some disingenuousness on my part, since this is not a separate UNESCO site, but just an extension of the main “historical part of the city of Graz”, which I just visited.

This creation was built in 1625 by Italian architects for the local governor Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg. The castle was considered the largest noble estate in Styria and the concentration of local political power. This Eggenberg was a kind of “Richelieu” of the local bay, a prominent politician and intriguer.

Or like this. I assume that it would be impossible to take photographs there, so you can always find an excuse why it’s not scary that you didn’t get here.

And we continue through the Alta gallery. There are exhibits from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century.
At the entrance I was greeted by sliding doors and a guy checking tickets. “Is it allowed to take photographs? - I ask. “Yes, it is allowed.” - the guy answers after checking the ticket - “But why should you take photographs, sir, there’s half an hour left before closing, you won’t have time...” And the truth is, I say, there is a risk But I will try to familiarize myself and take photographs. Therefore, I had to quickly go around everything, without hanging around the exhibits for a long time, and take good photos of them and the signs next to them, so that later I could reconstruct in my head what I saw with their descriptions.

In addition to his modest person, about one and a half dozen people met visitors.

Middle Ages. Very strong emphasis on Christian themes. Various frescoes, engravings, church statues of saints. Some paraphernalia.

And this is post-Medieval art - Renaissance and Baroque. Many works by leading masters.
For example, Jacob de Backer (1540/50-um 1600), Die Last des Lebens

Something like that...

Most of the exhibits are wonderfully lit, just for the purpose of a person with a camera.

Statue of the Virgin Mary of Admont. This is also one of the lands of Styria.

This is the door to the Catholic church room where vestments and ritual objects are stored (vestry room). Found in Carinthia, in the city of Friesach. Dated 1280 AD. It depicts St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

But I won’t have time to say. I managed to walk around everything, all the halls. Fortunately, the floor was not very big. Tea is not the Louvre or the Tretyakov Gallery. But this castle has some charm and connection with the history of the region.

I say goodbye to the castle in the rays of the setting sun. I was already late for the next train; I couldn’t even get to the station in 15 minutes. I prefer to while away the time with a walk through the castle park.

The park is not very big, but there are several nice places. Gazebos where walking locals relax. Lawns and flower beds.

The impudent birds of paradise are walking around again.

And they are absolutely not afraid of tourists passing by. Why should we be afraid, this is civilized Austria, no one will pull our tail here. Almost.

The heat of the day had already begun to subside, although the air was warm and I really didn’t want to leave the park.

But it was necessary to do this little by little, otherwise I risked not catching the next train back to Vienna...and arriving back closer to midnight.

I walked back towards the station at a measured pace, after which I realized somewhere in the middle of the way that I needed to start running. As a result, I flew into the station building 4 minutes before the train departed. For several seconds I was tossing around whether to go and drink a cola or a good Styrian beer at the local buffet. But caution took its toll, he climbed onto the train, and at the same time took a more comfortable place in the carriage.

The carriage was no longer as deserted as during the day; it was already about a third full. And again they were amused by a crazy Russian tourist, dangling from one side to the other (that is, me). Well, whatever you want, personnel decides everything. You never know, maybe you won’t be able to ride along this railway again.

Again outside the window are the landscapes of summer Styria...

We climb the mountains...

Sometimes along the way we came across such forest areas with “windows”...

Still, this Semmering road is extremely picturesque.

On the mountain are the ruins of some ancient castle. I wonder what it's called...

We are getting closer and closer to Vienna.

Pass after pass, view after view. We're going down to the bottom...

And here we are again at the Vienna Meidling station. I already have a good sense of direction and how to get home to our apartment. I share my impressions with everyone (they were again in the Viennese museums today). No, I understand everything, but not Vienna alone...

In general, I visited Graz. Will I go there again on purpose? I think no. Will I stay there for a day while passing through, if this happens? I think so. An interesting town, both tourist and non-tourist. Large and at the same time unknown to the general public.

And for tomorrow the plans were huge as usual; Yulia and I planned a trip to Salzburg. Mozart's birthplace, alpine meadows, many mountains and castles. Well, the logical conclusion of the Austro-Hungarian trip.

To be continued.