The Touriseum at the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle
Trauttmansdorff Castle sits majestically in the centre of the Gardens. Even after a long and turbulent history, the castle has retained its historical significance as Austrian Empress Elizabeth’s beloved retreat. In 2003, the castle was lovingly restored and transformed into the Touriseum: a regional museum belonging to the province of South Tyrol that recounts two hundred years of tourism history. The Touriseum was nominated for a European Museum Award in 2006.OPENING TIMES
- April 1st - November 15th: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
- Last entrance: 5:00 pm
- May 15th – September 15th: 9:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Last entrance: 8:00 pm
Price
- The entrance fee for the Gardens includes free admission to the Touriseum.
The history of tourism in South Tyrol
The Touriseum relates the history and identity of tourism in South Tyrol, and presents differing points of view towards it. The museum’s approach is original and quite witty: the story of tourism it tells goes right up to the present day – all the while switching perspectives between being on holiday and being at home, between guest and host. We hope that this novel approach inspires visitors to rethink their holiday experiences, and try to approach their precious free time in a new way.PERMANENT EXHIBITION
Twenty permanent exhibition rooms in Trauttmansdorff castle tell the story of tourism in Tyrol and South Tyrol: the risks associated with early travel through the Alps, the discovery of Tyrol as a tourist destination, the first peaks in numbers of spa tourists, and the Age of Grand Hotels. Contemporary tourism is another theme: South Tyrol as battleground between National Socialism and Fascism, the influx of the masses that began in the 1960s, and the challenges presented by a tourism industry that was growing exponentially.A particularly fun and special exhibit in the Touriseum is the giant South Tyrol Pinball Machine: ten metres long and made by local craftsmen, the machine takes visitors on an exhilarating ride through South Tyrol.
In 2008, the Touriseum transformed three of its rooms into a permanent exhibit devoted to the castle’s most prominent guest, Empress Sissi: original objects are on display and visitors can listen to a modern radio play.
| Special Exhibition |
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À la carte!
When did spaghetti arrive in Tyrol, and what about French fries? What are “poularden”? What was on the menu of the banquet prepared for the German Kaiser Wilhelm in the Meranerhof Hotel in January 1914? The Touriseum attempts to answer these questions with its special exhibition “Bon appétit! The history of the menu in Tyrol”. The menus on display are not just intended to tickle visitors’ taste buds on account of the wonderful dishes on offer or the complex aesthetic productions: they are also meant to get people to interpret them from unusual angles. Menus also give us a cultural history in its purest form, telling us about the country, its eating and celebratory customs, its habits, events, pleasures and, not least, acting as a form of business card for the hotels and the country. |