Austrian Castle Road Trip!

Some of us has a habit of once a year go for a castle road trip and see some great, mainly medieval, buildings and exhibitions. In the past five years southern France, Scotland, northern Italy, Switzerland (as seen here) and Spain have all been paid a visit with this theme.

This time the trip went to Austria (and a bit of Italy and Germany too). A lot of castles and many great collections and beautiful landscapes aswell. A great trip! Here are a few samples.

Hinterhaus Ruins, near Spitz an der Donau, Austria. Originally build in the 13th century.

Vienna Imperial Armoury, Hofburg Palace. Great collection!

Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Made in the late
10th or early 11th century. In Hofburg Palace in Vienna.

Taufer's Castle in the Valle Aurina (Ahrntal) in northern Italy.

Festung Kufstein. Among other things besieged and conquered
by the future Emperor Maximilian I in 1504.

Ruins of Ehrenberg Castle (as seen from the Schloßkopf ruin).
The first castle of Ehrenberg was built in the 13th century. It was largely
destroyed when the French invaded Tyrol during the Napoleonic Wars 

Timmelsjoch High Mountain Pass at 2,474 m (8,117 ft) on the Italian - Austrian border.
A strategic route that througout history have connected important valleys and cities. 

Hohenwerfen Castle near Salzburg. Originally built in the 11th century to secure
the Salzburg archbichopry against King (soon to be Holy Roman Emperor) Henry IV.
It was used as the castle 'Schloss Adler' in the 1968 film Where Eagles Dare!

More of Hohenwerfen Castle.

Styrian armoury in Graz. Lots and lots of armour!

Burg Liechtenstein south of Vienna, Austria.
Destroyed by the Ottomans it was rebuild in the late 19th century.

Not very historical, if you don't count Conan. ;-) The Arnold Schwarznegger House Museum.