The story of Ambras Castle

In the hills above Innsbruck, at 632 metres, stands one of the most popular sights in the Tyrol – and one of the oldest museums in the world. Ambras Castle was built in the 16th century on the site of an earlier castle from the 10th century.

Its fame is tied to Archduke Ferdinand II, ruler of the Tyrol and son of Emperor Ferdinand I, who turned the medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace as a gift for his wife, Philippine Welser, and lived here with his family from 1567 to 1595. Ferdinand was one of history's great art collectors, and he built the Lower Castle specially to house his collections. Visit its armouries, with masterpieces of European armour, and the Chamber of Art and Curiosities – the only Renaissance cabinet of its kind still in its original place.

Then climb to the Spanish Hall, a highlight of German Renaissance architecture, with an inlaid wooden ceiling and 27 full-length portraits of the rulers of Tyrol. The Upper Castle holds the Habsburg Portrait Gallery.