Grafenegg Castle in Lower Austria

Wednesday, 24 July 2013 - 01:06 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks
Reading Time:  4 minutes

© Zairon/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Zairon/cc-by-sa-3.0

Seven centuries of history can be seen in the architecture of Grafenegg Castle. Extended in the 19th century, it has become Austria’s most important example of historicism and in Grafenegg it is possible to find stylistic traces from Gothic through Baroque and Biedermeier to elegant Neo-gothic. With its soaring tower, grandiose façades, stylish staircases, atmospheric arcades and attractive chapel, Grafenegg has become an emblem of Lower Austria.

With the Wolkenturm, Grafenegg’s centuries-old architectural landscape gained an open-air stage (in 2007) that blended perfectly into its natural surroundings. Nestling in a natural hollow, the building designed by architects Marie-Therese Harnoncourt and Ernst J. Fuchs (the next ENTERprise – architects) is a sculpture that rises up a good 15 metres to the height of the treetops and affords unexpected views from a range of standpoints. From the terraces, with seating for over 1,700 spectators, as well as from the surrounding hills that provide lawn seating for over 300 people, one’s eye is caught by the historical castle and the romantic ambience of Grafenegg. The open-air arena’s acoustic shell produces an excellent sound through the acoustic detailing of the Munich firm Müller-BBM.

Built in 2008, the Auditorium stands for the link between the traditional and the modern in Grafenegg. Located between the historic Riding School and the Schlosstaverne, a fluid connection to the historical buildings was created through wall openings and glass transition spaces. The historical structure therefore blends into the new building, creating a unity of both function and form. Since 2008, the technically and acoustically outstanding concert hall has served year- round as the main concert venue, as well as providing an alternative wet-weather venue for open-air concerts on the Wolkenturm stage. The Auditorium offers seating for an audience of over 1.370 on three levels.

© Mueffi - GFDL/cc-by-sa-3.0 © Mueffi - GFDL/cc-by-sa-3.0 © Mueffi - GFDL/cc-by-sa-3.0 © Mueffi - GFDL/cc-by-sa-3.0 Chapel © Mueffi - GFDL/cc-by-sa-3.0 © Zairon/cc-by-sa-3.0
<
>
Chapel © Mueffi - GFDL/cc-by-sa-3.0
The Grafenegg castle grounds offer historical, botanical and very modern impressions in a formidable ensemble. On three circular tours starting at the Wiener Tor and ending at the castle, 300 years of the grounds’ history, rare plants from all over the world, architectural masterpieces and new works of art reveal themselves along 40 ground plates.

The fairytale-like castle is surrounded by hundreds of trees from all over the world, including a couple of rarities. The network of paths, on which you can explore the various phases of the grounds’ development, leads to the newly erected open-air arena, the Wolkenturm. Walking about, you also come across modern works of art – replenished over time and always surprising – like the Buchsdom Tower by US American artist Mark Dion, a unique ensemble of nature and human creative power.

The grounds are open to the public all year round. On days with events taking place on the Wolkenturm, from 4 p.m. the complex is only accessible with a ticket to the concert.

Read more on Grafenegg Castle (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




Recommended posts:

Share this post: (Please note data protection regulations before using buttons)

Theme Week Abu Dhabi - The Emirates Palace Hotel

Theme Week Abu Dhabi - The Emirates Palace Hotel

[caption id="attachment_172248" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Poco a poco[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The building was designed by renowned architect, John Elliott RIBA, who was Senior Vice President at Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo, an international firm specialising in Luxury Hotels. It opened in November 2005 but certain restaurants and spas did not open until 2006. The hotel was built by and is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, and is currently managed by the Kempinski Group. The costs to build the hotel were ...

[ read more ]

Portrait: The Fugger

Portrait: The Fugger

[caption id="attachment_161937" align="aligncenter" width="418"] Jakob Fugger (1459–1525) by Albrecht Dürer[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Fugger family is a German family that was a historically prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists. Alongside the Welser family, the family controlled much of the European economy in the sixteenth century and accumulated enormous wealth. This banking family ...

[ read more ]

Malkhei Yisrael Street in West Jerusalem

Malkhei Yisrael Street in West Jerusalem

[caption id="attachment_223495" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Morning shoppers © Yoninah/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Malkhei Yisrael Street (lit. "Kings of Israel Street"), also spelled Malchei Yisrael, is an east-west street in the Geula neighborhood of north-central West Jerusalem. Its eastern flank, which abuts Mea Shearim Street at an intersection called Kikar HaShabbat (Sabbath Square), is the main shopping district for Haredi Jewish residents of northern West Jerusalem. The remainder of the street, which ext...

[ read more ]

Diani Beach on the Indian Ocean

Diani Beach on the Indian Ocean

[caption id="attachment_151382" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Outrigger canoe © flickr.com - Giorgio Montersino/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Diani Beach is a major beach resort on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya (in eastern Africa). It is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Mombasa, in the nearby Kwale County. The beach is about 10 kilometres (6 mi) long, from the Kongo river to the north and Galu beach to the south (the southern point of reference is an old Baobab tree). It is adjacent to the town of Uk...

[ read more ]

Moulin Rouge in Paris

Moulin Rouge in Paris

[caption id="attachment_220934" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © flickr.com - Christine Zenino/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Moulin Rouge (French: lit. "Red Mill") is a cabaret in Paris, France. The original house, which burned down in 1915, was co-founded in 1889 by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche. ...

[ read more ]

Sagrada Família in Barcelona

Sagrada Família in Barcelona

[caption id="attachment_221912" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Basílica de la Sagrada Família (Spanish: Basílica de la Sagrada Familia; 'Basilica of the Holy Family'), also known as the Sagrada Família, is a large unfinished Roman Catholic minor basilica in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), his work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 7 November 2010, Pope B...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Veneto - Bassano del Grappa

Theme Week Veneto - Bassano del Grappa

[caption id="attachment_153595" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Bassano del Grappa © Mtt[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Bassano del Grappa is a city and comune in northern Italy with 44,000 inhabitants. The city lies at the foothills of the Venetian Prealps, where river Brenta comes out the southern end of Canal di Brenta and flows in the lowlands at the borders of Vicenza, Treviso and Padua provinces. The original name of the town was Bassano Veneto. After the terrible battles on Mount Grappa in WWI, where thousands of soldiers lo...

[ read more ]

Reichstag building - the energy concept

Reichstag building - the energy concept

[caption id="attachment_161302" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Reichstag © Michael J. Zirbes[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire supposedly set by Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe. During the Nazi era, the few meetings of members of the Reichstag as a group were held in the Kroll Opera House. After th...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Ibiza - Sant Antoni de Portmany

Theme Week Ibiza - Sant Antoni de Portmany

[caption id="attachment_152184" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Sant Antoni Bay © JanManu/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Sant Antoni de Portmany (Spanish: San Antonio Abad) or San Antonio is a town on the western coast of Ibiza. It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island described by Time Out magazine as "arguably the clubbing capital of the universe". For two thousand years, Sant Antoni was a small fishing village that rose from the Roman natural harbor Portus Magnus, but it began to grow in th...

[ read more ]

The European Union: Café Europe

The European Union: Café Europe

[responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Café Europe, Café d'Europe or also Café Europa was a cultural initiative of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) during the Austrian presidency of the European Union, held on Europe Day (9 May 2006) in 27 cafés of the capitals of the then 25 EU member states and the two countries which would join the Union in 2007. Vienna, the capital of Austria, is well known for its long and vibrant café culture, dating back from the first introduction of coffee to Europe as a result of the wars with the Ottoman E...

[ read more ]

Return to TopReturn to Top
Northgate Street © geograph.org.uk - John Firth/cc-by-sa-2.0
Chester in North West England

Chester, is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is...

© Alicia Yo/cc-by-sa-3.0
The Pantanal Conservation Area

The Pantanal is one of the world's largest tropical wetland areas, and is located mostly within the Brazilian state of...

© Abphoto/cc-by-3.0
Trenčín in western Slovakia

Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around 120 km...

Schließen