A place travelers can visit Hofburg

Reviews: Hofburg

General description: Hofburg

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Vienna Hofburg
For over 600 years, from the cession of the Austrian territorities to the Habsburg Rudolf I (1276) until the abdication of Kaiser Karl (1918), the "Burg" was the residence of Austria's ruling house.

History of the Hofburg in Vienna
Initially a relatively small castle, it grew over the course of the centuries to reflect the power and wealth of its inhabitants, to become a labyrinthine complex which now possesses 18 wings and 19 courtyards. The oldest part is the Schweizerhof, from where one enters the treasury and the Gothic chapel in the centre. The Stallburg, the Amalientrakt and the red-gold-black Schweizertor at the entrance to the courtyard of the same name were built in the 16th century. The Leopoldine Wing was built in the 17th century, while the Reich Chancellor's wing, designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, was added in the 18th century. Fischer von Erlach the Elder and Younger also designed the Winter Riding School, where the Lippizaner horses perform, as well as the National Library, whose magnificent Baroque hall with its mighty dome is often described as the most beautiful library in the world. The Michaelertrakt was completed at the end of the 19th century. Finally the "Neue Burg" (new castle) was added from 1891-1913 as part of a far greater expansion project, the realisation of which was prevented by the First World War.

Visiting the Hofburg
Of the approximately 2500 rooms in this stone maze, only a fraction are open to the public. Visitors can, for example, see the imperial apartments with the new Sissi Museum, and the Silver Chamber, both of which can be reached from the dome room of the Michaelertrakt. Then it is the turn of the Treasury, the castle chapel, the magnificent hall of the National Library, the Spanish Riding School and, finally in the Neue Burg, the Arms and Armour Collection which belongs to the Museum of Art History, the Old Musical Instruments collection and the Ephesos Museum. The Hofburg now also houses the Federal President's office, a busy conference centre, various government bodies, and private and service apartments as well as a few shops, the latter in the pedestrian arcade between Burghof and Heldenplatz.
The heart of the empire - with Lipizzaners, a boys' choir, a treasure trove and the national library.

Address
Michaelerplatz 1
1010 Wien

Opening times
Tues, Wed, fr-Sun: 10:00 - 18:00
Thurs: 10:00 - 21:00

Website: www.hofburg-wien.at

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