Description:
Open: July - August: Thursday - Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
Sept. - 1st November: Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
The Austrian Criminal Museum in Scharnstein Castle documents the history of Austrian law enforcement and policing through the ages.
More than 20 showcases trace this history from the Late Middle Ages up to our own times.
Deep in the vaults of the castle, where the County Court met from 1584 to 1848, numerous objects illustrate historical court cases, but also torture and the judicial and penal system. An original torture chamber allows us a glimpse into the practical side of the penitentiary system.
Past and present of the Gendarmerie, the Austrian country police, and a documentation on spectacular criminal cases solved by them, are presented in the historical exhibition rooms, as well as uniforms and equipment of this famous historical executive body.
Currently under construction is a new additional section on more modern equipment of the police apparatus as well as documentation on famous criminal cases of the more recent past. The car of a Turkish embassy employee in Vienna, which was destroyed in a terror attack on the Turkish Embassy in Vienna in 1984, stands at the center of the new section.
Guided tours are available for groups between 15 and 80 persons after previous arrangement.
A combination of tours of the castle and the museum is also possible for groups from 15 to max. 80 persons.
Audio guide from the Crime and Gendarmerie Museum
Further offers can be found at HISTORICUM SCHARNSTEIN.
Here you can find the Xibit Audio Guide to the Crime Museum.
From 1 May, also open on public holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
July – August: Thursday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
September – 1 November: Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Also open on request in rainy weather!
Group visits and guided tours are possible by telephone appointment! (also outside normal opening hours)
501 m
Accessibility / arrivalHow to get to Scharnstein Castle in the Almtal valley:
We recommend travelling by public transport!
By train:
From Wels station, take the Almtalbahn (line 153) towards Grünau im Almtal to the Scharnstein-Mühldorf stop. There are numerous connections from Wels station to the main trains on the Westbahn line (line 101) to Linz/Vienna or Salzburg and to Passau (line 150).
The train station is about a 10-minute walk from Scharnstein Castle.
By OÖVV bus:
OÖVV bus line 533 Gmunden – Scharnstein – Grünau im Almtal; Scharnstein Zentrum stop.
The bus stop is about a 5-minute walk away.
With the Salzkammerut Shuttle Service Route 52 from Laakirchen to the Scharnstein Ortsmitte stop, or from Vorchdorf with the Salzkammergut Shuttle Service Route 70, please call the taxi centre at least 1 hour in advance on +43 50 422 422 to book.
Arriving by bicycle:
Coming from Wels or Linz, take the R 11 Almtal cycle path via Pettenbach to Viechtwang. Or via the R 4 Traun cycle path or R6 Römer cycle path, or from Passau via Vöcklabruck and Schwanenstadt to Lambach, via the Traunkraftwerk Lambach power station and to Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting in the direction of Vorchdorf Einsiedling. Continue via the cycle path briefly on the R 13 Traunviertel Cycle Path to the R 11 Almtal Cycle Path via Pettenbach to Viechtwang.
You can also take the cycle path on the Traunviertel Tour from Gmunden via St. Konrad and Scharnstein to Viechtwang.
From Viechtwang, take the road to Scharnstein; the museum is located directly on this road.
By car or for bus groups:
A1 motorway: Vienna – Voralpenkreuz-A9 junction – Ried/Tr. exit – Voitsdorf – Pettenbach – Scharnstein
A8 motorway Passau – Wels – Voralpenkreuz A9 junction – Ried/Tr.Voitsdorf exit – Pettenbach – Scharnstein
A1 motorway: Munich – Salzburg – Regau – take the B145 to Gmunden, also when arriving from Bad Ischl – B120 to Scharnstein.
Car park directly behind Scharnstein Castle.
Please only use the designated parking spaces and be considerate of private property. Thank you for your cooperation.
ParkingAdmission and offers for guided tours can be found on our homepage.
Information about offers "historicum" here!
Somewhat suitable for wheelchairs: Assistance is sometimes necessary. The measurements do not (fully) conform to the legally stipulated ÖNORM.
Please let us know how we can improve the quality of this property or if there is any incorrect information on this page (eg. opening hours, contact, etc.).
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