Museen auf Schloss Straßburg

About the museum

The Straßburg was laid out around the middle of the 12th century under Bishop Roman I as the residence of the Gurk prince-bishops, and at the same time served to underline the independence of the diocese from the Archdiocese of Salzburg. The complex took its present form through alterations and extensions from the late 16th to the late 17th century, including the bastions in the north and the arcaded courtyard under Cardinal Goëss.

After an earthquake in 1767 and the bishop's move to the new Schloss Pöckstein in 1783, the castle fell into decay. Fires in 1858 and 1904, as well as theft of stone, added to the damage; in 1954 a demolition order could only narrowly be averted. Rescue came from 1955 onward, with the association "Freunde der Straßburg", the town municipality and the diocese, which secured the masonry and rebuilt it.

Since 1991 the castle has housed a regional museum: in seven specially furnished rooms, the folk-culture collections show farm implements, furniture and household goods of the Gurk Valley, together with documentation on social history. In addition there are the "Frauen-Kunst-Werke" from the Werkmann collection, with embroidery and textiles from the Biedermeier period to the 1940s, a pipe exhibition with pieces from around the world, and the exhibition "Straßburg – Fürstenresidenz und Bischofsstadt" on the beginnings of the Diocese of Gurk and the town.

Highlights

• Folk-culture collections of the Gurk Valley in seven rooms
• Frauen-Kunst-Werke: embroidery and textiles from the Werkmann collection
• Pipe exhibition with a meerschaum pipe from 1790
• Exhibition "Fürstenresidenz und Bischofsstadt"
• Arcaded courtyard of the former bishops' castle

Permanent exhibitions

• Volkskundliche Sammlungen – Farm implements, furniture and household goods of the Gurk Valley in seven rooms, supplemented by customs, popular piety and social history.
• Frauen-Kunst-Werke – The Werkmann collection shows embroidery and textiles from farmhouse, noble and middle-class households, from the Biedermeier period to the 1940s.
• Straßburg – Fürstenresidenz und Bischofsstadt – Panel exhibition on the founding of the Diocese of Gurk, the Gurk prince-bishops and the development of the town of Straßburg.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Stadtgemeinde Straßburg

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Kärnten Card (show photo ID).

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car from Klagenfurt via the B83 to St. Veit and Pöckstein; from there about 9 km more to Straßburg.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

Restaurant-pizzeria "al Castello" in the castle's rooms (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit