Museum Marble Villa

Empress Elisabeth commissioned the small, Tudor-style villa on the site of the  small eatery in the Schmallnau (“Jausenstation in der Schmalnau”) in 1856. The villa resembles the Neuschwanstein Castle, in Bavaria, in Germany. It is built of reddish marble, and after WWII, the villa fell into disrepair. The Province of Upper Austria restored and renovated it, and a Museum of Photography was installed.  

Today, the Province of Upper Austria uses the villa for various exhibitions and cultural activities. It is open from April to October.

In 2024, an outstanding exhibition was held here on the occasion of "Capital of Culture 2024": AI WEIWEI Transcending Borders - Dialogue with Hallstatt Culture.
At the opening ceremony on 12 June 2024, Mayor Ines Schiller was able to personally welcome Governor Thomas Stelzer and the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei! The latter was particularly impressed by the location of this exhibition.
From the folder of the OÖLKG: "Works by the renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (*1957), in which he sometimes refers to the earliest Chinese dynasties, stand alongside important archaeological finds from the Hallstatt period (800 - 450 BC) and create a unique space for the dialogue between art and history, a fascinating encounter between two worlds."
 In addition to the main exhibition in the Marmorschlössl, the entire park is included and is enlivened by impressive works by Weiwei. Remarkable objects can also be seen in the two imperial stables.