Schloss Ambras

Lonely Planet review

Perched dramatically above the centre, the city's biggest stunner is Schloss Ambras. Archduke Ferdinand II acquired the castle in 1564, the year he became ruler of Tyrol, and transformed it from a fortress into palace. He was the mastermind behind the Spanische Saal (Spanish Hall), a 43m-long banquet hall with a wooden inlaid ceiling and Tyrolean nobles gazing from the walls. Also note the grisaille (grey relief) around the courtyard and the sunken bathtub where his beloved Philippine used to bathe.

Ferdinand instigated the magnificent Ambras Collection, encompassing three main elements. The Rüstkammer (Armour Collection) features intriguing pieces such as the armour for the archduke's second wedding - specially shaped to fit his protruding belly! - and the 2.60m suit created for giant Bartlmä Bon. The Kunst und Wunderkammer (Art and Wonders Collection) is crammed with fantastical objects, including a petrified shark, gravity-defying stilt shoes and the Fangstuhl - a chair designed to trap drunken guests at Ferdinand's raucous parties.

The Portraitgalerie features room upon room of Habsburg portraits. Portrait No 158 (Room 10) features a whiskered Charles VIII masquerading as a peasant while wearing a hat masquerading as an armchair. Maria Anna of Spain (No 126, Room 22) wins the prize for the most ludicrous hairstyle. When portraits of Habsburgs begin to pall, you can stroll or picnic in the extensive castle gardens home to strutting peacocks.

Guided tours are available, but English tours must be reserved. Entry is cheaper in winter as some parts of the castle are closed. To get there take tram 6 or bus K.