192 CultureShock! Austria
Graz
The Zeughaus (Arsenal) in this jewel of a city holds more
than 29,000 weapons, armour and even a horse. The Ancient
Art Gallery’s collection of medieval art includes altars,
crucifixes and stained glass. The Styrian Folklore Museum
displays reconstructions of Styrian living quarters. About
16 km outside of Graz, the Austrian Open Air Museum begins.
Houses from the different provinces of Austria have been built
over 100 acres to show how rural Austrians live.Other Cities
Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz has beautiful religious art
from churches in the province. Also of note is the Jewish
Museum Hohenems.
In Klagenfurt, you can visit the Landesmuseum, which has
exhibits on the nature, history and culture of Carinthia. The
nearby Freilichtmuseum Maria Saal is an open-air museum
displaying typical buildings. Minimundis is an open-air
museum of internationally famous buildings.
The Jewish Museum and the Jewish Quarter in Eisenstadt,
capital of Burgenland and once home to many Jews, are also
worth seeing.Palaces and Castles
Austria boasts an incredible number of spectacular palaces
and impressive fortified castles. No longer homes for nobility
nor defense against a feared enemy, many of these palaces
and castles can now be enjoyed by everyone. Some have
been turned into fascinating museums, others welcome you
with pleasant restaurants and hotels, and still others are the
magical settings for summer concerts and operettas. Except
for those in Vienna, most palaces and castles are closed from
November until April.Vienna
Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence of the
Habsburgs. Built on the grounds of a former hunting lodge,
its gardens are as well worth visiting as its Rococo and