Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Eggenberger Allee 90; adult/child €8/3; tours 10am-4pm Tue-Sun from Palm Sun-Oct; 1 Schloss Eggen-
berg)
Situated on the western fringes of the city, Graz' elegant palace was created for the
Eggenberg dynasty in 1625 by Giovanni Pietro de Pomis (1565-1633) at the request of
Johann Ulrich (1568-1634). Admission is via a highly worthwhile guided tour, during
which you learn about the idiosyncrasies of each room, the stories told by the frescoes,
and about the Eggenberg family itself.
Johann Ulrich rose from ordinariness to become governor of Inner Austria in 1625, at
a time when Inner Austria was a powerful province that included Styria, Carinthia, and
parts of Slovenia and northern Italy. His baroque palace was built on a Gothic prede-
cessor (which explains an interesting Gothic chapel in one section of the palace, viewed
from a glass cube) and has numerous features of the Italian Renaissance, such as the
magnificent courtyard arcades. The guided tour is in English or German and takes you
through the 24
Prunkräume
(staterooms), which, like everything else in the palace and
gardens, are based around astronomy, the zodiac, and classical or religious mythology.
The tour ends at Planet Hall, which is a riot of white stuccowork and baroque frescoes.
Alte Galerie & Museums
( 58 32 64-9770; Eggenberger Allee 90, Schloss Eggenberg; adult/child €8/3; 10am-5pm Wed-Sun Apr-Oct, to
4pm Wed-Sun Nov-Dec, closed Jan-Mar; 1 Schloss Eggenberg)
Graz' Schloss Eggenberg and park
grounds are home to an ensemble of excellent museums, including the
Alte Galerie
(Old
Gallery), with its outstanding collection of paintings from the Middle Ages to the
baroque. Also very worthwhile are the
Archaeological Museum
, housing relics from pre-his-
tory to classical times, and the
Coin Collection
.
Just a few of the highlights in the Alte Galerie are works by Lucas Cranach the Elder,
Martin Johann Schmidt and Pieter Brueghel the Younger. In a clever touch, each room
has been individually coloured to highlight and complement the dominant tones of the
paintings displayed in them.
While the Coin Collection is more of eclectic interest (magnifying glasses on the case
help to see the coins close up), the Archaeological Museum houses the exceptional
Strettweg Chariot and a bronze mask, both dating from the 7th century BC, as well as a
collection of Roman finds in the province.
MUSEUM
GARDEN
Schloss Eggenberg Parkland
