Museums and exhibitions

Visited permanent and special exhibitions and events on ethnographic themes.

Fascinating exhibitions

in stylishly arranged interiors of castles, palaces, and museums not only present collections but also provide valuable information through careful descriptions of exhibits, which are sometimes difficult to find elsewhere. If allowed, I photograph some of the exhibited objects, including information boards that I found particularly interesting.

However, publishing

photos – for example, on the Internet – usually requires additional consent, which is sometimes not easy to obtain. The laws differ depending on the country, the nature of the exhibition object, the status of the exhibition organizer, and sometimes even take into account the position of the owner of individual exhibits. For these reasons – with few exceptions, where I have received such permission – I do not publish interior photos taken by me, but only use the information contained in them when writing articles. The following list of selected museums and exhibitions is such a database and an encouragement to undertake your own research expeditions.

Burgenland

  • Forchtenstein Castle (Burg Forchtenstein): Works of art and military tradition
  • Lackenbach Castle (Schloss Lackenbach): Hunting exhibition
  • Lockenhaus Castle (Burg Lockenhaus): Bell tower, upper courtyard, donjon, armory, ballroom, knight’s hall; “The Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory; permanent exhibition about bats; History of the Templars
  • Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt: Castle chambers, wine museum and thematic exhibitions: Joseph Haydn; Melinda Esterházy

Carinthia

  • House of the region in Wolfsberg (Haus der Region in Wolfsberg): Information center about the region
  • Landhaus Klagenfurt: Interiors

Lower Austria

  • Amethyst World Maissau (Amethystwelt Maissau): Exhibition of gemstones
  • Castle ruins Kirchschlag (Burgruine Kirchschlag): A small exhibition about reconstruction works
  • Empire of Glass & Glasmuseum („Die gläserne Burg“)
    • Internationale Glastage (12 – 13.11.2022): Live presentation by a team of glassmakers making the sculpture “Octopus Arm”
  • Falkenstein Castle (Burgruine Falkenstein): The fate of the Austrian Anabaptist community
  • Gut Guntrams: A garden of crystals and fossils
  • Jugendburg Streitwiesen: private tour
  • Kaiserhaus Baden:
    • Mythos Ludwig Van (9.11.2019 – 2.05.2021): Exhibition about Ludwig Van Beethoven
  • Kollmitz Castle (Burg Kollmitz): The courtyard and the castle tower
  • Krahuletz-Museum Eggenburg: Clocks in the collection of Ferdinand Stangler; applied folk art; archaeological collections; fossils, minerals and rocks
  • MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach
    • 40.000 BC: Mammutjäger, Kelten und Co. (6 – 7.05.2023): An event dedicated to everyday life in the era of mammoth hunters, Celts, Romans, Huns and Germans
    • Maya (21.03 – 21. 11.2021): Past and present Mayan history
  • Messe Tulln:
    • Int. Gartenbaumesse Tulln (28.08 – 1.09.2025)
  • Museum Carnuntinum: The history of Carnuntum, a legionary camp and later also a civilian town
  • Neugebäude Castle (Schloss Neugebäude): Interiors
  • Open-air museum Niedersulz (Museumsdorf Niedersulz): Earth building techniques; The Anabaptists (religious movement); From manorial rule to modern agricultural policy; magnificent collars for the carriages
  • Open-air museum of the Germanic farmstead in Elsarn (Freilichtmuseum Elsarn Germanisches Gehöft)
  • Orth Castle (Schloss Orth): Information center of the Danube-Auen National Park; Exhibition on 38 species of bats
  • Plankenstein Castle (Burg Plankenstein): Visiting the castle rooms with a guide
  • Pöggstall Castle (Schloss Pöggstall)
    • 60 Jahre NÖ Zivilschutzverband (2021 i 2022)
  • Prehistoric Museum Nußdorf (Urzeitmuseum in Nußdorf ob der Traisen)
  • Roman city of Carnuntum – Roman quarter (Römerstadt Carnuntum – Römisches Stadtviertel): Open-air museum and permanent exhibition in the premises
  • Schallaburg Castle (Schallaburg)
    • Sehnsucht ferne. Aufbruch in neue Welten (20.03. – 07.11.2021): The desire to explore new lands
    • Reiternomaden in Europa (9.04. – 6.11.2022): Equestrian nomads in Europe
    • Renaissance einst, jetzt & hier (13.04. – 3.11.2024): Fifty years of annual exhibitions at Schallaburg Castle
  • Schloss Hof: Representative Chambers
      • Sisi – Mensch & Majestät (6.5. – 26.10.2021): Insights into the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary
  • Schloss Traismauer: Collection of the Vienna International Operetta Society;
    • Traismauer Schätze (15.05 – 31-10-2022)
  • UnterWasserReich in Schremser Hochmoor Nature Park: Live show of aquatic microorganisms under a microscope, World of ponds and moors in Waldviertel
  • Waldreichs Castle (Schloss Waldreichs): Falconry and Birds of Prey Center
  • Wienerwaldmuseum Eichgraben: Geology, archaeology, folklore and handicrafts
  • World of Tin Figures in Katzelsdorf (Zinnfigurenwelt Katzelsdorf): Large dioramas and historical tin figures

Salzburg (state)

  • Hallein Celtic Museum: The Art and Culture of the Celts; Prehistory of Salzburg; History of salt mining in Hallein
  • Hangar-7 in Salzburg: Aviation Museum; collection of Formula One racing cars

Vienna

  • Albertina:
    • Claude Monet (2018 – 6.01.2019)
  • Art History Museum Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna)
  • Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek)
    • Globe and Esperanto Museum
    • Papyrus Museum
    • The State Hall (Prunksaal)
      • Fischer von Erlach and The State Hall of the Emperor. 300 years of baroque glory (Fischer von Erlach und der Prunksaal des Kaisers. 300 Jaher Barocke Pracht (12.01 – 5.03.2023)
  • House of the Sea (Haus des Meeres): A zoo in a former World War II anti-aircraft tower, consisting mainly of marine aquariums and terrariums
  • Military History Museum – Military History Institute (Heeresgeschichtliche Museum – Militärhistorische Institut)
  • Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien)
  • Secession Building
  • Schönbrunn Palace: Palace interiors and park
  • Technical Museum Vienna (Technisches Museum Wien): Oil production in Galicia; heavy industry
  • Time Travel Vienna: Multimedia presentation of the history of Vienna
  • Vienna Museum (Wien Museum)
    • Römermuseum: History of Vienna during the Roman Empire
    • Uhrenmuseum: Free-standing clocks, wall clocks, clocks built into furniture and tableware
  • Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus): Meeting rooms, ballroom
  • Vienna District Museums – Simmering:
  • Zoo Schönbrunn (Tiergarten Schönbrunn): Night tour with night vision goggles

Central Bohemian Region

  • Mineral showroom in Kutná Hora, on Smíškova Street next to Barborska

Liberec Region

South Bohemian Region

South Moravian Region

  • Bítov Castle (Státní hrad Bítov): Interior of the castle; Collection of prepared dogs by Georg Haas Freiherr von Hasenfels

Bavaria

  • BMW World and BMW Museum in Munich (BMW Welt und BMW Museum in München)
  • Hohenschwangau Castle (Schloss Hohenschwangau)
  • Museum of the Bavarian Kings (Museum der bayerischen Könige)
  • Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein)

Hesse

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses | Central Europe branch office (Jehovas Zeugen | Zweigbüro Zentraleuropa), Selters: offices and printing works

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saxony

Istria county

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County

  • Park of the Glagolitic Alphabet in the Village of Gabonjin (Croatian: Park glagoljice Gabonjin): Archaeological park dedicated to the Glagolitic Alphabet.

Šibenik-Knin County

  • Archaeological park Bribirska glavica
  • Krka National Park
    • Industrial Architecture on the Krka River (Industrijska arhitektura na rijeci Krki)

Split-Dalmatia County

  • Fortress of Klis (Tvrđava Klis): A permanent exhibition on the history of the castle and the region
  • Kaštel Štafilić: Presentation by the guide of a thousand and five hundred year old olive tree
  • Kaštel Stari: Tour of the historic part of the city with a guide
  • Olive Museum Klis (Muzej maslina Klis)

Zadar-county

  • Ethnographic museum in Pag (Etno muzej u Pagu)
  • Olive Gardens of Lun (Vrtovi lunjskih maslina)

Central Hungary

  • Marzipan Museum in Szentendre (Szamos Marcipán Múzeum Cukrászda)
  • Visegrád Castle (Visegrád)

Budapest

  • Ethnographic Experience Centre in Urban Betyár restaurant: Relics of Hungarian heritage – furniture and folk costumes, traditional household equipment

Central Transdanubia

Northern Great Plain

  • Hollókő: Historical village of the Palóc people

Pest County

  • Royal Palace of Gödöllő (Gödöllői Királyi Kastély): Permanent exibitions (The Grassalkovich family era; The Royal Suites; The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Exhibition; Centuries, inhabitants, stories; Habsburg Gallery; The secret life of the castle (1950-1990)
    • Schönbrunn Kincsei Gödöllőn (8.09.2023 – 28.02.2024): Highlights of the Schönbrunn Collection

Western Transdanubia

  • Győr – Castle Dungeon, Stone Quarry (Várkazamata- Kőtár): A wide, underground tunnel about eighty meters long, with an exhibition of i.a. Tombstones from Roman times and the Middle Ages and about 100 bricks from the last 300 years
  • Taródi-vár: Castle interiors, antique furniture and tiled stoves. A castle built in the 20th century

Friuli Venezia Giulia

  • Archaeological Area of Aquileia
  • Miramare Castle (Castello di Miramare): Permanent exhibition of the castle
  • Savorgnan Castle in Artegna (Castello Savorgnan di Artegna): Exhibition of finds of Lombard material culture

Lesser Poland Voivodeship

  • Ojcow Castle (Zamek w Ojcowie): Castle courtyard
  • Tatra-Museum (Muzeum Tatrzańskie im. Dra Tytusa Chałubińskiego w Zakopanem): geology, traditional crafts
    • Giewont – Kolekcja niezwyczajna. Obrazy ze zbiorów Elżbiety i Andrzeja Kubasiewiczów – Galeria Sztuki w willi Oksza (18.10.2019 – 23.02.2020)

Lower Silesian Voivodeship

Lubusz Voivodeship

  • The Palm House in Zielona Góra (Palmiarnia w Zielonej Górze)

Masovian Voivodeship

  • Czersk Castle (Zamek książąt mazowieckich w Czersku): Castle courtyard and former residential tower (gatehouse)

Warsaw

  • Geological Museum in Warsaw (Muzeum Geologiczne Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego, Państwowego Instytutu Badawczego w Warszawie).
  • Museum of Sport and Tourism (Muzeum Sportu i Turystyki w Warszawie)
  • Polish Army Museum (Muzeum Wojska Polskiego w Warszawie)

Silesian Voivodeship

Subcarpathian Voivodeship

  • Bieszczady National Park Museum (Muzeum Bieszczadzkiego Parku Narodowego w Ustrzykach Dolnych): biology and systematics of the animal world; paleontology; geomorphology, hydrology, climate and soils of the Bieszczady Mountains; as well as flora, plant communities and fauna of the region; the nature of the foothills, the mid-mountain range and the mountain pastures
  • Casimir Castle in Przemyśl (Zamek Kazimierzowski w Przemyślu): castle rooms
    • 150 Years Dramatic Society A. Fredro “Fredreum” in Przemysl
  • Krasiczyn Castle (Zamek w Krasiczynie): Guided tour
  • Łańcut Castle (Zamek w Łańcucie): Storczykarnia
  • Open-air museum of Lemko culture in Zyndranowa – Museum of Lemko culture (Skansen Kultury Łemkowskiej w Zyndranowej – Muzeum Kultury Łemkowskiej)

Trenčín Region

  • Trencin Castle (Trenčiansky hrad): pavilion with historical exhibition devoted to painting, defense art and production of fabrics and costumes; a chamber of torture; the tower, which today serves as a viewing platform
  • Ljubljana Castle (Ljubljanski grad): Underground interiors, courtyard and castle tower
  • Old Castle Celje (Celjski grad): Castle interiors and the tower