Splendor and majesty in the center of the inner city: Admire the private flats and beautiful staterooms of the erstwhile imperial household, and experience the numerous museums and collections of the Imperial Palace.

Historically evolved complex

The Gothic Hofburg Chapel, where the Vienna Boys’ Choir sings during High Mass on every Sunday, is a perpetual reminder of the original medieval castle. The oldest section remaining is the Swiss Wing with its massive red-and-black Swiss Gate. It is joined directly to the Amalienburg and the Leopold Wing, which serves as the current official residence of the Austrian federal president. Between them is open space with the sonorous name “In der Burg” (In the Castle). Still more toward the heart of the city, the Imperial Palace terminates with St. Michael’s Wing and its bronze dome. The complex runs along the Burggarten until it stops just before the Vienna State Opera. The last phase of construction, along with most Ringstrasse buildings, created the most striking part: The semicircular Neue Burg on Heldenplatz.

Art and culture on every corner

Most popular museums and collections in Vienna are located today within the Imperial Palace – naturally with an imperial past, of course. All that concerns the legendary Empress Elisabeth is exhibited in the Sisi Museum: The life story of real-life Sisi here, unlike that of the cult film series “Sissi”. The erstwhile official and residential chambers of the Habsburgs can be seen within the Imperial Apartments. The Imperial Treasury and the Imperial Silver Collection feature precious insignia (such as the mythical crown of the Holy Roman Empire) and unique Habsburg table services.

Animal focus is present for the guided tours and shows of the Spanish Riding School, where the renowned Lipizzaners and riders perform precision riding exercises and stunts. At its southern end is the Albertina with its treasures of classic Modernism and one of the world’s most significant collections of graphic art. A further highlight is the Ceremonial Room of the Austrian National Library. It is Europe’s oldest Baroque library and one of the world’s most beautiful.

Heldenplatz: Tourist hotspot and recreational area

Historic Heldenplatz, originally intended as a large imperial forum (though never realized), is dominated by the equestrian monumental statues of Prince Eugene and Archduke Karl. This point offers the best view of the Neue Burg and the Leopold Wing. The meadow is not just a leisure ground used by visitors: Numerous Viennese also use it on sunny days for a picnic or to play the latest fashions in sport, spikeball, or yoga. Right nearby are yet more parks and green spaces to unwind in – the Volksgarten, the Burggarten, and Maria-Theresien Platz.