Sonia Writer: 01/03/2015

There is nothing quite like the initial frisson of excitement you experience, when you visit somewhere new! I had travailed to Austria before, but had not visited Innsbruck; and having traveled by car from lovely, quiet, Kitzbuhel, I was ready to energy you experience the energy from this vibrant city. Innsbruck was certainly no disappointment, with its stunning architecture, its wonderful museums and classical, cultural vibe.

Up until this point in time, I would never say I had a favorite museum as there are some wonderful places around the world. But I must admit that I have rarely been as impressed with a museum as much as the Tiroler Landesmuseen (Tyrolean Folk Art Museum). On the ground floor the hand crafted exhibits of dolls houses and miniature theatres are amazingly intricate. There is also an interesting section of traditional Tyrolean costume. Upstairs, there is a display of early photographic equipment and cameras. You can take a trip back in time, visiting the wooden interiors of old Innsbruck homes, lovingly recreated from the originals, and, not to be missed, there are the visiting exhibitions.

During my visit the visiting exhibition was of cultural and theatrical masks. There were some very dramatic exhibits and the psychology behind the display, "Behind the Mask", explored the change individuals undergo whilst wearing a mask; it raised interesting questions such as 'is the mask a form of deception? Or can it be used to express hidden motivation and desires?' The viewer becomes engaged in an exploration of different realities: its message multi – layered. ‘What is revealed? What is concealed?’

The museum’s star attraction, for me, was hidden by a heavy wooden door inside the beautiful courtyard. At set times the door would be locked and a lady appeared, delivering an exciting interactive presentation about the life and legacy of Emperor Maximilion. Inside one of the internal rooms, there was a huge, old, globe with ships and star installations circling around it. The history presentation was dramatic and exciting, giving a real sense of this historical figure and the achievements of his life time. We were all totally enthralled!

After the interactive display the group moved on to the Innsbruck Court Church, connected to the courtyard of the museum, where we visited the stunning mausoleum of Roman Emporer Maximillian1, whose aim in life was to make an' “Eternal Memorial” for himself. From the first sketches by Gilg Sessseisschrieber (German artist and bronze sculptor) in 1502, it took 80 years to complete, and it is surrounded by 28 larger than life bronze statues of the emperor’s ancestors: the sculptures showing an impressive example of 16th century artistic development from late Gothic to Renaissance and Mannerism.

Unfortunately, after his painstaking project was finally completed, the emperor was not interned in this tomb when he died! He was buried in the Castle Chapelat Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna. The mausoleum has now been beautifully restored to its original condition and a visit to the Tiroler Landesmuseen is very highly recommended!