Graz

The House of Regions stands for European culture and the concept of the event hall is based on three pillars: music, dance and literature from the European regions are offered in the ballroom of the house, craft folk art in the shop of folk culture Lower Austria and culinary art from the European regions in the Gastrobetrieben Blauenstein and Weinstein. http://www.volkskulturnoe.at/wirkungsstaetten/haus-der-regionen.html

Commissioned by the territorial estates as a Protestant church in 1578, it was designed by architect Christoph Windisch. Klagenfurt Cathedral is the oldest pilaster church in Austria. The 23 paintings on the walls and ceilings were painted over several times in the course of the years. The Catholic Reformation Commission closed the cathedral in the year 1600. Four years later it was handed over to the Jesuits who managed the Jesuit school next door until the order was closed in 1773. A fire destroyed major parts of the church in the year 1723. Reconstruction did not begin until 1725. The Carinthian Baroque painter Josef Ferdinand Fromiller created the John of Nepomuk apotheosis. The church was raised to Cathedral status in 1787. The Cathedral was renovated in the 1890s and shines today in the lustrous Baroque colourfulness of the 18th century. https://www.visitklagenfurt.at/en/discover-and-experience/worth-seeing/285-klagenfurter-dom-domplatz.html

In 1965 an observatory was built atop the old stone lookout tower amid the broad woodlands of the Kreuzbergl in Klagenfurt. From its viewing platform, the observatory offers unforgettable panoramic views of Klagenfurt and the surrounding mountains. With the help of a giant telescope and a modern astronomic navigation system, you will be able to gaze on live images of the moon, planets, binary stars and other unique features of the heavens. Parking is available at the Schweizer Haus or the Botanical Garden, with a clearly marked footpath (also lit up after dark) leading to the observatory. https://www.visitklagenfurt.at/en/discover-and-experience/worth-seeing/292-sternwarte-klagenfurt.html

The dragon depicted on the fountain is the symbol of the city. There is a lovely square around it where you can sit and relax. In the 13th century a dragon was wreaking havoc in Klagenfurt, causing floods that destroyed crossings and threatened travelers along the River Glen. A duke offered a reward for anyone who could capture it, and a brave young man tied a bull to a chain and caught the dragon like a fish. In 1335 the dragon’s skull was found in a nearby quarry aptly known as Dragon’s Grave. The capital city of Carinthia proudly displayed it in the city’s town hall, and in 1590 Ulrich Vogelsang used it to make what is often cited as the earliest known reconstruction of an extinct animal—it’s attributed to Vogelsang, but it’s more likely an anonymous artist made the sculpture, carved from a single block of chlorite slate. Legend claims 300 men, dressed in all white, carried the six-ton beast to the center of town. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lindwurmbrunnen

Klagenfurt’s Benedictine Market in downtown Klagenfurt offers everything your heart could possibly desire. What a wonderful hustle and bustle there is in front of the market stands when, on Thursday and Saturday between 6:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., farmers from across Carinthia as well as neighboring Friuli in Italy and Slovenia, offer their products. Aside from delicious foods and fresh grocery items, at the market itself as well as in the neighboring streets you will come across ample opportunities to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, a small snack and a good chat. https://www.visitklagenfurt.at/en/highlights/409-benedictine-market-downtown.html

Around the world at top speed: See 156 models of the most beautiful buildings from over 40 countries around the world up close! Minimundus, the miniature world at Lake Wörthersee, is a place for exploring, having fun, spending time, learning and enjoying. With models from every continent, the world is miniaturised, covering over 26,000 m² of parkland. On a scale of 1:25, the most beautiful buildings have been recreated in detail according to original plans and using original materials such as marble, sandstone or lava basalt. Nowhere else can you experience the world in just one day. Experience the Minimundus of the next generation. An exhibition of new dimensions, with adventure, games and fun, covers over 1,500 m². https://www.visitklagenfurt.at/en/discover-and-experience/worth-seeing/316-minimundus.html

At the northern edge of the historical centre of Varaždin separated from the city by embankments and moat, is the Old Town Castle of Varaždin. This military fortress was unassailable from the outside due to the moat which was fed by the river Drava canal and the cannons inside the walls that in some places were 2.5 metres thick. Inside is the Old Town’s Renaissance Palace, whose aristocratic owners have continually changed and adjusted it to suit their tastes from the 13th to the 19th Century. Today the entire Old Town is the Varaždin City Museum. Former illustrious owners include the Counts of Celje, Jan Vitovac, Ivaniš Korvin, Juraj Brandenburg, Counts Ungnadi and many others. The Erdödy Family ruled the City for the longest time, and the first owner was the famous General Tomo Bakač Erdödy, who defeated the Turks at Sisak in 1593. The Old Town was the Capital of the Varaždin County, and the Erdödy family were its hereditary governors. That’s why their family coat of arms which was officially confirmed by Queen Maria Therese in 1763, is still in use. The last owner of the Town sold it in 1923. The Varaždin City Museum was founded by the Varaždin Museum Society and officially opened in 1925 in a few rooms in the Old Town. Initially, the displays consisted of items donated to the newly opened museum by renowned Varaždin families. Over the years, the size and variety of the Museum Collection have increased, and today the Varaždin City Museum has specialized Archaeological, Historical, Cultural, Ethnographic and Entomological Departments. Museum Departments are housed in several buildings of historical value in the center of the City: the Gothic-Renaissance fortress Old Town, the baroque Sermage, the classical Herzer Palace and the Watchtower in the Old Town complex. The Museum’s Departments currently have four permanent exhibitions including: the Cultural and Historical Department in the Old Town, Entomology in Herzer Palace and the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters in the Sermage Palace. The Archaeological and Historical Department in the Herzer Palace is currently being prepared and is almost ready to open permanently. https://www.tourism-varazdin.hr/en/museums-and-collections/

Although the smallest of all city museums, the Museum has proved attractive to a many visitors. There is a long tradition of fire fighting in Varaždin as the City has been damaged several times by fire. The first Varaždin volunteer Fire Brigade formed in 1864, making it the first in the region. http://www.tourism-varazdin.hr/en/museums-and-collections/

Fresh food and groceries which are prepared daily are becoming a more important part of everyday life, and in the Varaždin market this trend is confirmed. In the flurry of trading you can buy fruit and vegetables, as well as other culinary delights that arrive fresh every morning from family farms in Varaždin and its surroundings. http://www.tourism-varazdin.hr/en/must-see/

One of the main theatre in the city of Varazdin. http://www.tourism-varazdin.hr/en/theater-music-film/

In Klagenfurt, you will find its wonderful eastern bay, which stretches to Maria Wörth. The public lidos in Klagenfurt, Maria Loretto and Maiernigg invite you to bathe in one of the warmest alpine lakes in Europe, with green sunbathing lawns and shady trees. Boat hire and fun sports, such as banana rides or Water Walking, will turn a day at the lake into a small adventure. In the spacious parklands which make up Europapark, with its skater park and adventure playground, you can relax, do sports or simply enjoy a delicious ice cream on a leisurely walk. Here in Klagenfurt, pleasant walks and bicycle tours often begin along the Lendkanal or on the shore of Lake Wörthersee. The Loretto peninsular is an idyllic location that juts out into the water, with a bar and restaurant there offering pleasant refreshment opportunities. The Kreuzbergl also reveals itself as a peaceful oasis: Just a few minutes’ walk from the town center itself, visitors are able to stroll through the forest and past small ponds. https://www.visitklagenfurt.at/en/discover-and-experience/lake-life.html

From the Pyramidenkogel visitors can enjoy impressive wide-ranging views of the proud summits of the Hohe Tauern to the north as far as the Karawanken, and towards Italy and Slovenia beyond the borders of the province of Carinthia. The ride to the top of the tower in the transparent panoramic lift offers picturesque views of the surrounding lake valleys, and active visitors can also climb the stairs to the top. Three viewing platforms guarantee a breathtaking view. The highest platform is a proud 71 metres high and houses the “Sky Box”, a room which is flooded with light and protected against the weather. This will be used as events venue in future. The unique tower design consists of 16 stilts made of laminated timber, stabilised by means of ten steel rings and with 80 diagonal struts which tower impressively upwards. https://www.visitcarinthia.at/attractions/quality-seal/pyramidenkogel-observation-tower/

The pilgrim church "Visitation" was built between 1715 and 1803 according to plans drawn up by Prince Paul I. Esterházy. Unfortunately, the prince did not live to see the groundbreaking ceremony as he died from the plague in 1713. The portion of the church that can be visited today represents merely the presbytery of the church originally planned. It was to be a place of worship of enormous proportions. The high altar picture "The Visitation" is a copy of a painting by Dorffmeister and dates back to 1797. http://www.eisenstadt-tourismus.at/church-of-joseph-haydn.html

The Haydn Mausoleum is located right under the north tower. It is the famous composer's dignified and evocative place of burial. Thousands of music lovers from all corners of the globe visit the mausoleum every year. Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) had been employed with the Esterházy family for more than 40 years. After his death he was first buried in Vienna. In 1820 his remains were transferred to Eisenstadt and put into their final resting place, the mausoleum, in 1954. https://www.eisenstadt-leithaland.at/en/sightseeing/sightseeing/haydn-mausoleum

The famous Calvary at the Haydn church was built by the Franciscan lay brother Felix Niering in the years from 1701 – 1707. The Calvary in Eisenstadt follows the pattern of the Calvary in Maria Lanzendorf in Lower Austria. Steps and dark hallways lead through an artificial mountain made of rocks and pass by small niches, grottos and tiny chapels portraying scenes of the Passion of Christ. At the east side of the Calvary, there is the Chapel of Mercy. It contains a miraculous image that is visited by many pilgrims every year. The Chapel of Mercy already forms part of the Calvary. Originally it had been built as Mount of Olives Chapel. After the Statue of Mercy had been transferred from the church in Grosshöflein the chapel was re-consecrated as Chapel of Mercy. https://www.eisenstadt-leithaland.at/en/sightseeing/sightseeing/calvary

The old Jewish Cemetery had been installed in the 17th century near the Jewish Quarter. Due to place restrictions, the new cemetery was set up near the old one. During the Nazi-occupation it was partly destroyed and tombstones had been used to erect tank barriers all around the city. After 1945 both cemeteries were renovated and the tombstones were put back into place. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/jewish-cemetry.html

The museum of the Diocese in Eisenstadt has been on the premises of the Franciscan monastery since 1980. Its collection of ecclesiastical art of the region (sculptures, paintings, paraments, i.e. clothes worn in religious services, and devices pertaining to the liturgy, objects of people´s piety and religious graphics) is unique in Burgenland. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/diocesan-museum.html

In 1972 the Austrian Jewish Museum in Eisenstadt was established as Austria’s very first Jewish museum after 1945. It is located in the town’s former Jewish district, near Palace Esterházy, in Palais Samson Wertheimer. In the course of your tour, you can visit not only the museum exhibitions, but also the synagogue belonging to the Palais Wertheimer, as well as both Jewish cemeteries, on a roundabout walk through the ancient Judengasse. The small synagogue to the former Hungarian state rabbi Samson Wertheimer (1658-1724) is the gem of the building and the museum. It numbers among the very few synagogues in the German speaking area which was not destroyed in the so-called Reichskristallnacht in November 1938 or during the period following. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/jewish-museum.html

Get to know the past and the peculiar characteristics of this region by looking at artefacts contributed by Archaeology, Biology, Geology, Art History and Ethnology. What is the purpose of the Landesmuseum? The museum´s main task is to research the historical and cultural development of Burgenland and the surrounding region of Pannonia and present a comprehensive picture of the results of this research to the public. This is done with the aim to stir and develop the understanding and general and scientific interest in the idiosyncrasies of the region. These tasks are fulfilled by scientific research, the set-up and upkeep of collections, planning and carrying out of exhibits, events such as lectures, seminars, symposia, etc. and the edition of printed materials. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/regional-museum-burgenland.html

The largest wine museum in Austria is situated in the 330 year-old cellar vaults of the palace. This impressive exhibition includes more than 700 fascinating objects and gives an overview of the cultural history and rich traditions of viticulture in Burgenland. Among the exhibits are the largest preserved wine barrel and the oldest Baumpresse (a historic type of Austrian basket wine press) in Burgenland. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/wine-museum.html

The regional Fire Fighter´s Museum deals with the history of the volunteer fire departments of the region Burgenland. More than 450 exhibits show the development of volunteer fire departments in Western Hungary and Burgenland from the second half of the 18th century onward. The exhibits comprise manuscripts, documents, flags, uniforms, photographs but also large exhibits such as hand-held pressure hoses, fire carriages, and the first fire engine dating back to 1930. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/museum-oft-he-fire-departement.html

When Liszt was five, his unusual musical talent was discovered. At the age of nine he already played public concerts in Sopron. He started his artistic career as child prodigy and first-rate piano virtuoso, much like Mozart. The salons and concert houses of all European cultural centres were at his feet. He was loved by women and adored by music lovers. It is said that their devotion has often crossed the line of hysteria. Franz Liszt is one of the most famous persons of the 19th century. The Liszt Monument on Esterházy Platz was made in 1936 to celebrate the 125th birthday of this great son of Burgenland. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/monument-of-franz-liszt.html

Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt is one of the most beautiful baroque castles in Austria and gives an impressive insight into the former glittering life at the court of the Princes Esterházy. With the authentic ambience and the excellent acoustics of the Haydn Hall, Esterházy Palace is still the center of cultural events: here concerts are given, festivals celebrated and glamorous exhibitions shown. An exciting counterpoint is the former stables opposite the castle. Together they form the Schlossquartier Eisenstadt, where contemporary and historical, music and art, culinary and wine meet each other in a unique way. https://esterhazy.at/de/schlossesterhazy/index.do

When he got promoted to conductor in 1766, Haydn bought this house and lived there with his wife Aloisia Keller until 1778. Haydn and Eisenstadt are inseparable. From 1761 on, Haydn worked as conductor for the Esterházy court for more than 40 years. Five years after his commission to the Esterházy court, he bought the baroque house situated in what is now called 21 Haydngasse. He lived there for 12 years. Numerous furniture items and original instruments make this collection a true feast for all senses. https://www.eisenstadt-leithaland.at/en/sightseeing/sightseeing/haydn-house-eisenstadt

The Haydn's family garden hut with its herb gardens represents a true rarity. When Joseph Haydn bought his house in the city in 1766, he also acquired the little garden by the hospital, situated outside the city walls, and the little wooden hut. Haydn transformed this small piece of land in a flower and herb garden and not only came there to seek peace and quiet, but also to compose. The remains of the kitchen and herb garden have been transformed into a show garden with plants that were en vogue in Haydn's times. It invites the visitors to learn more about century old recipes and herbal secrets. https://www.eisenstadt-leithaland.at/en/sightseeing/sightseeing/haydns-herb-garden

The structural fabric of the town hall dates back to 1560 and was changed after the city had been elevated to a royal free-trade zone in 1648. The architectural basis is thought to go back to early renaissance. The diamond-shaped ashlar of the portal points to this era, too. The one-storey building with a broad front featuring two round oriels on the sides and a rectangular oriel in the centre has been refurbished during the baroque; a massive attic has been built on top of it during the same period. The murals discovered in 1926 probably also go back to the early renaissance period and have been adapted to fit the baroque tastes later on. In 1949 Rudolf Holzinger repainted them by closely sticking to old patterns. He also completed the missing pictures. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/city-hall.html

The Palace Park, with the Leopoldine Temple and the Orangery at the heart of it, is a jewel. The Palace Park is one of the most important landscaped gardens dating back to the 19th century. It covers an area of about 50 hectares and forms the northern edge of the city and goes all the way down to Bergstrasse and up into the Leitha Mountains. The park comprises four ponds (Leopoldine pond, Obelisk pond, Herzerl pond and Engine pond), uncounted exotic trees and bushes. The Leopoldine Temple built by Moreau in 1806 is a circular temple with Egyptian-style columns erected right above the Leopoldine pond. Inside the temple there is the statue of "Leopoldine", made in 1805 by the famous Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/palace-park.html

The Orangery is known for its rich collection of plants, its size and its variety of green houses. The Eisenstadt Orangery is among the most important ones in Europe. The plant collection used to be one of the most impressive collections around, and is mentioned in numerous reports of contemporaries. The ravages of war and the destructions of 1969 only spared the Orangery house and its central octagonal pavilion, the biggest and most prominent buildings of the grounds. These parts are only a portion of the original greenhouse grounds that have evolved over many decades and at different stages. A number of Mediterranean plants, such as pomegranates, olive trees or figs but mainly citrus fruits were being cultivated north of the Alps as early as the middle of the 16th Century C.E. The name Orangery (ital. "Limonaia") originally only denoted the plant collection itself, shows the outstanding ranking of the oranges within the framework of any plant collection. https://www.neusiedlersee.com/en/business/977/orangery.html

Joseph Hyrtl, outstanding Austrian anatomist and philanthropist, was born in Eisenstadt on December 7, 1810, in what was then the Princes Esterházy’s residence for musicians (today the parish house in Oberberg). He began to study medicine in Vienna in 1831. Professors and students recognized his talent and he was appointed prosector of anatomy in 1833. In 1837, at the tender age of 26 years, he became professor at Prague Charles University. To honour his achievements the municipality had a monument erected on Joseph Hyrtl square on the occasion of his 150th birthday (1960). https://eisenstadt-leithaland.at/Monument_of_Josef_Hyrtl.html

The regional gallery of Burgenland shows mostly contemporary art but also works of classic modern artists. On display are Austrian as well as international artists, as well as exhibits pertaining to a certain theme. The gallery emphasises on being a venue for local artists. There are on average five exhibits a year, some are productions of the gallery, some are exhibits that have been taken over from other institutions. http://www.eisenstadt-tourismus.at/regional-gallery-of-burgenland.html

Lower Austria is not only Austria’s largest federal province, its geography, people and events make it Austria’s historical heartland. Its eventful history spans the first traces of human settlement, the first recorded mention of Austria (“Ostarrichi”) in the year 996, the proclamations of the 1st and 2nd Republics, and the fall of the Iron Curtain through to the unification of Europe. The new House of History is open since September 2017 in Museum Niederösterreich. Alos discover Lower Austria’s ecological and topological diversity: a splashing stream leads you from icy Alpine glaciers to the mellow waters in the lowlands. Watch live fish, amphibians, reptiles, ants in giant aquariums, terrariums and a formicarium. You can safely examine the larger inhabitants of our meadows and forests up close, because they are displayed as preserved specimens. http://www.museumnoe.at/en

The only Art Nouveau synagogue in Lower Austria. Rich painting in ornamental forms of the Wiener Werkstätte. Built in 1913 according to the plans of the architects Theodor Schreier and Viktor Postelberg, the synagogue was badly damaged in the Kristallnacht (9th / 9th November 1938). After 1945, the building was returned to the IKG Vienna - an IKG St. Pölten no longer existed. The once thriving Jewish community life in St. Pölten was completely destroyed, only a few survivors returned to St. Pölten. Since 1988, the Kantorhaus houses the Institute for Jewish History in Austria, which uses the synagogue room for events.Today, the former synagogue is a memorial site that commemorates a living Jewish community before 1938 and its destruction by the Nazis. https://www.stpoeltentourismus.at/ehemalige-synagoge

Built in 1820 by Josef Schwerdfeger, after 1890 and 1968 rebuilt and expanded theater construction. Until 2005 Stadttheater. Since 2005 speech theater. Whether award ceremonies, film shoots or press conference - with the stylish atmosphere of the theater house every event becomes an exclusive, unforgettable experience. https://www.stpoeltentourismus.at/landestheater-niederoesterreich-1