Eggenberg Castle. Eggenberg Palace in Graz (Eggenberg Schloss) Eggenberg Palace
Eggenberg Castle (Austria) is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and beautiful places in Europe. Tourists are attracted here by the amazing castle halls and the magnificent park at the palace. Eggenberg Castle is located on Austrian soil, in the west of Graz, at the base of Mount Plabuch.
The history of the creation of this wonderful castle resembles a real fairy tale. All twelve months, seasons, all 365 days of the year, and even hours and minutes live here. Count Eggenberg, in honor of his appointment to an important post, decided to create the most amazing castle.
The time of the appearance of the structure coincides with the change of calendars, as well as with the time of the most important scientific discoveries, when all Europeans were looking for truth and meaning in everything. Everyone found the truth in something different. Eggenberg found it in architecture, and that’s how this castle appeared.
general information
Eggenberg Castle is located just west of Graz and is located in hilly terrain.
Eggenberg Castle Palace is one of the pearls of Styria, as well as the whole country. UNESCO listed the castle as a World Heritage Site.
Historical reference
The territory on which the castle is located was acquired by Balthasar Egenberg in the mid-fifteenth century, when the first buildings appeared. But the palace in its current form saw the light of day under Prince Hans Ulrich von Egenberg, grandson of Balthasar. Hans Ulrich decided to reconstruct the castle - all the previous buildings in the Gothic style were converted into the original Baroque building. Such a project greatly reduced the cost of construction and preserved memorable details about the ancestors. Work on new construction began in 1625. The architect was an architect from Italy - Giovanni de Pomisa.
Construction of the castle was completed in 1646. Balthasar commissioned more than 600 paintings for the palace, most of which have survived to this day.
After the Eggenbergs, the castle fell into the hands of the Herberstein family, which owned it until 1939.
Appearance
Eggenberg Castle does not look like buildings created during the Renaissance. There is no pretentiousness or luxury in this palace. It is made in simple forms, thanks to which its individuality is emphasized.
The architect who built the castle knew about Hans Ulrich's passion for astrology, and therefore the palace complex was designed in the spirit of the Renaissance. In addition to the house, the castle complex included a chapel made in the Gothic style and erected during the lifetime of the prince’s ancestors.
The castle is a miniature model of the Universe: 4 high towers located on the sides are symbols of the seasons of the year, 52 low turrets symbolize the number of weeks in a year, 24 utility rooms - the number of hours in a day, 12 gates - the number of months, and the number of days in a year reflected through the 365 windows of the palace.
Based on the architect's idea, the castle complex should serve as a reminder of the passage of time, and also symbolize the movement of stars in the sky. Another feature of the palace is that in one day the sun will definitely fall into each of its windows.
Interiors
This theme does not end with the exterior; it continues into the interior of the palace. The zodiac constellations are painted on the walls of the ceremony hall, and the planetary system is depicted on the ceiling. Thanks to these features, this room was called the “Room of Planets.”
The interior of the castle easily combines two styles: Baroque, whose features are grandeur, pomp and intensity of feelings, and Rococo, elegant, but not deep in its content.
Today, archaeological exhibitions are held in many rooms of the castle. The main exhibit of the museum objects is the Stretweg cart, the creation of which dates back to the 6th century BC. This cart was once used in religious ceremonies.
Modernity
The design of all the lower rooms, which dates back to the 18th century, has been preserved almost completely to this day. On the ceilings of the castle there is a magnificent collection of paintings.
Eggenberg Castle (Styria) mainly exists at the moment as a museum. Here you can see, in addition to magnificent works of art, a hunting museum and a collection of archaeological valuable finds. Walking through the beautiful palace park is no less exciting. It was restored relatively recently and is rightfully considered the pearl of European park art. The park is full of romantic, fairy-tale and enchanting places, beautiful small ponds and amazingly beautiful plants, and the free movement of peacocks throughout the park area will not leave children and animal lovers indifferent.
Also, one of the valuable attractions that the Eggenberg Castle-Palace in Austria is very proud of is the huge numismatic collection, which acts as the second collection in Austria in terms of its size and content. This collection includes over 70 thousand unique exhibits.
Interestingly, the image of Eggenberg Castle can be found on modern ten euro coins. This coin was issued on October 9, 2002, and its series is referred to as “Austria and its people.” The coin is made of silver, and its circulation is only 200 thousand copies.
Entertainment program of the complex
In spring and summer, the entire palace park is surrounded by flowers and music. This spectacle is simply magnificent! Jazz and classical music festivals are also often held here. And connoisseurs of chamber music can enjoy listening to it by candlelight in the castle halls.
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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Eggenberg Castle was built in 1625 by Prince Eggenberg, who was an advisor to Ferdinant II. It is the pearl of Styria, Austria and the whole world. The time of construction of the castle coincided with the change of the calendar, with great scientific discoveries - everyone was looking for the truth. Everyone found it in their own way. Eggenberg saw it in architecture.
The castle was built in the true traditions of Buddhism, although the people of that time did not even know about it. There are 365 windows in the palace - as well as the days of the year - and the sun peeks through each window during the day. The park located next to the castle has twelve gates - the number of months in a year. And in the corners of the castle there are four towers, which symbolize the four cardinal directions and the four elements. Perhaps the architect wanted to tell us about the combination of cardinal directions and elements.
Eggenberg Palace is completely different from the buildings of the Renaissance. There is no pretentiousness or pomp in it. He is simple, and in this simplicity he is brilliant.
Story
Eggenberg Castle began to be built in 1625 by order of Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg. He was a kind of Richelieu, only Austrian, and was a close adviser and favorite of Emperor Ferdinand II.
The palace was built according to the design of the prince’s favorite architect, Giovanni Pietro de Pomis. The famous architect was probably born in 1565. He studied with the Venetian artist Jacopo Tintoretto. In 1595 he was invited to take the place of court painter to Archduke Ferdinand (who soon became emperor). Around 1600, de Pomis began working in Graz, where he subsequently received an order from the prince.
The architect, knowing about Hans Ulrich's passion for astrology, designed the castle in the spirit of the Renaissance. In addition to the house, the palace and park complex included a late Gothic style chapel, built by the prince’s ancestors.
According to the architect's idea, the castle was designed to remind of the movement of the stars and the passage of time. 52 rooms symbolize the number of weeks in a year, 24 service rooms - the number of hours in one day, 12 gates - the number of months, 365 windows - the number of days in a year. Another feature of the castle is that the sun shines through every window throughout the day. This theme was continued in the interior design of the castle. For example, the walls of the main hall are painted with zodiac signs, and the planetary system is depicted on the ceiling. It is for this reason that the hall is called the Room of Planets.
The construction of the palace was completed after the death of Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg. The main finishing work was carried out from 1641 to 1646. In 1666, the prince's grandson gave the artist Weissenkircher the task of completing 600 paintings to decorate the castle. By the way, these paintings still delight the eyes of visitors. The interior of the castle is designed in Rococo and Baroque style, filled with ceiling paintings, stucco moldings, crystal, antique furniture, and paintings.
After the death of the last of the Eggenberg family, the castle was inherited by their close relatives, the Herbersteins. They owned the house until 1939. After 1939, the Styrian government became the owner of the castle. Count Meran, a morganatic descendant of the Austrian emperors, founded a hunting museum here, which was part of the oldest museum in the country, the Graz Art Museum.
Currently, part of the castle premises is used to display the archaeological collection, the crown of which is the Stretweg cult cart. This exhibit dates back to 600 BC; it was discovered in 1851 in the burial of a prince in the village of Stretweg. Along with the cart, many other items were discovered: bronze jewelry, iron weapons, amphorae. In addition, objects on display include ancient objects from the Middle East and Egypt.
Another attraction of Eggenberg Palace is the collection of coins, the second largest in Austria. This numismatic wonder contains over 70,000 items.
Eggenberg Castle can be seen on the 10 euro coin. The date of issue of the coin is October 9, 2002, the series is Austria and its people. Castles of Austria. The coin is made of silver and has a mintage of 200,000. The reverse side of the coin depicts Johannes Kepler with his model of The Secret of the Universe. He became acquainted with the architecture of the Eggenberg Palace and taught in Graz.
For tourists
Entrance ticket price:
- adult – 9 $
- student – 4 $
- child – 4 $
Schedule:
The castle is open to the public from April to October, daily from 10:00 to 17:00.
The Archaeological Museum and the Mint are open
- from 1st to 31st March, Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00–18:00;
- from April 1st to October 31st, Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00–18:00;
- from November 1st to November 30th, Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00–16:00;
- Exhibitions are closed from December 1st to February 29th.
Did you know that in the Austrian city of Graz, you can see and even touch and even visit a 17th century cosmogonic model of the universe? This is the building of the Eggenberg Palace, where peacocks walk along the paths of the park, lost in time, among flowers and beautiful plants.
Where time has stood still, where there are no wars and vanity, where every line and every stone is subject to one law. The law of universal harmony.
History of Eggenberg Castle and Park
Imagine: the beginning of the 17th century. Austria. Troubles, wars. - a fortress city, an outpost repelling numerous attacks of foreigners from the east, a city of fighters and knights, armed with the latest technology. As before, now all this can be seen in.
Of course, such a city is the dream of many boys who dream of exploits and knightly fights, but the city’s residents dream of something else.
And in 1625, as a counterbalance to the devastation and unrest, a beautiful building and park appeared on the outskirts of the city. Heaven on earth. Dream.
Eggenberg Palace is an example of harmonious architectural craftsmanship, an allegory of the universe, a precisely calculated cosmos.
Symbolism of Eggenberg Castle
It has 365 windows, 31 rooms on each floor, 24 service rooms with 52 doors, and all 60 windows. 4 corner towers - everything symbolizes time from a year to several weeks, days, hours, minutes.
The symbolism of these numbers is based on the new (at that time) Gregorian calendar. The paintings that decorate the Planet Hall (Planetensaal, Planet Hall) were begun in 1678 and are filled with astronomical symbolism.
In every country in the world, in every city, there are strange people - eccentrics. And they are treated differently. Somewhere they laugh at them, somewhere they poison them, somewhere they deify them. But at all times, strange people, captivated by ideas, bring unique images into culture that we admire and admire today.
The name of the person who embodied all the astronomical knowledge of those times in architectural symbolism is Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg.
On the ceiling painting of the Hall of the Planets, the artist Hans Adam Weissenkircher identified the seven celestial bodies known in his time. The planets are named after Roman gods and represent the days of the week. Monday - Selena, Tuesday - Mars, Wednesday - Mercury, Thursday - Jupiter, Friday - Venus, Saturday - Saturn, Sunday - Sun.
The artist used famous images of Roman gods, as well as members of the Eggenberg family, as prototypes for his images. Recent research has shown that the paintings of the medieval castle include an image of Hans Ulrich himself.
The twelve zodiac signs depicted on the walls complete the astronomical numerology.
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Chapel
All diagonals drawn from any point of the palace intersect in one place. Here at their intersection there was a chapel in the Gothic style.
In the mid-18th century, the heir to the Eggenberg family, Count Herberstein, began to rebuild parts of the building, replacing the Gothic style with a more fashionable - the magnificent festive Baroque style.
The ancient chapel was no longer used and its original function fell into oblivion.
Winged Altar
In 1470 the Winged Altar was reduced to 13 panels. At the beginning of the 20th century it was sold to America.
Just a few years ago, the altar was purchased again and returned to its original place.
Garden of the Planets
This is the name of the palace park. Eggenberg Palace forms a single whole with its park. Over time, the park changed to suit the tastes of the times.
By the mid-19th century, it was converted into a landscaped garden.
The peacocks wandering along the paths create a special attraction of the park. And he redesigned the space of the park - Planetengarten. Of course, it continues the iconography of the palace.
Eggenberg Palace and Park today
Today Eggenberg Castle is a museum for the province of Styria.
Since 2005, collections of coins and medals can be seen here. The Old Gallery (Alte Galerie) displays works of art from the Romanesque period to the late Baroque.
One of the most valuable exhibits of the museum, which is worth paying attention to, is a bronze chariot from Strettweg (7th century BC) depicting a scene of sacrifice.
The great history of the Eggenberger family ended in 1717, when Johann Christian II von Eggenberg died of appendicitis at the age of 13. His grandfather died 4 years earlier, and his father died just a year earlier. Thus ended the male dynasty of owners of Schloss Eggenberg.
Eggenberg Castle. Working hours
The castle complex includes a park and garden (in the open air) and a palace building with internal chambers. Therefore, be careful: opening hours of the park and garden and visiting times of the palace vary.
Park and garden
Tickets to the park and garden - off-season
- April - October: daily from 8:00 to 19:00
- November - March: daily from 8:00 to 17:00
Adult ticket: € 11.50
School: € 5.50
Family: € 23.00
24h ticket
Adult: € 13.00
School: € 4.50
Family: € 26.00
Excursions to Eggenberg Castle (Palace)
Visit to the interior of the palace (with a guide only)
from April 1 to October 31 (closed from November 1 to April 1)
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 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).
- April 2 to October 31 – Wednesday-Sunday, 10-00 to 17-00.
Eggenberg Castle address
Eggenberg Castle, Eggenberger Allee 90, 8020 Graz, Austria.
How to get to the castle
Eggenberg Castle is located on the outskirts of the old town (center). The easiest way to get to it is by public transport. Tram line No. 1 direction Eggenberg (go to the Eggenberg Schloss stop).
From the main train station or from Hauptplatz Graz/Congress and Jakominiplatz (Mitte) on the same tram.
A tour of the inner chambers lasts 50 minutes, but it’s better to count on 4-5 hours to calmly stroll through the park.
A detailed diagram of Graz transport (and in particular tram number 1) can be seen Here.
Eggenberg Castle on the map
Official website of Eggenberg Castle
Sincerely,
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.