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What a privilege it is to walk through the halls of the Ambras Castle! It is a testimony of the Austrian people’s attraction for fine arts and culture. I have been there last week, and I must say that it was very impressive.

First of all, the location is great. It is situated on a hill west of Innsbruck, and you can see it standing proud from almost every corner of the city. Then, inside, the Spanish hall simply stuns you with its grandeur and lay-out. On the walls there are about 30 paintings picturing lost rulers of the region of Tyrol, and the floor is decorated with marble patterns. Then, the chamber of art and curiosities is really great, because, besides the fact that it displays all sorts of strange things like automats, clocks, musical instruments and measuring instruments each several hundreds of years old, it is actually the only chamber of this kind that has remained in its original location, unlike any other in Europe.

Last but not least, the Armouries have some excellent examples of royal and court armor from the collection of Archduke Sigismund and Emperor Maximilian I. The latter had a passion in collecting such things like armor and weapons, and now all of his items are put to display for the public.