Why the
Hofburg Palace
is special

A fair portion of Europe was ruled for over six centuries (1279-1918) from Vienna's Hofburg Palace, the winter residence of the royal Habsburg family.

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Hofburg Palace
tips & insights

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How the
Hofburg Palace evolved

It began as a modest-sized 13th century fortified castle. Succeeding emperors added and enlarged structures. Today the Hofburg Palace is a huge, sprawling complex of buildings.

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What to see
at the Hofburg Palace

You can visit only a small fraction of the 2,600 rooms. The others are mainly used as offices for the Austrian President and 5,000 governmental workers.

The ones you can visit are quite interesting and include:

Chapel

Where the renowned Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday Mass.

Library

One of the most photogenic libraries on earth.

Museums

Many focuses: Musical instruments, weaponry, ethnology, and a host of other special-interest fields.

Royal apartments

The luxurious residence and state rooms of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth.

Spanish Riding School

The celebrated white Lipizzaner horses perform here.

Silver collection

Dining table items (more interesting than it sounds).

Treasury

Showcases precious jewels, historical crowns, and other items accumulated through the centuries by the Habsburg rulers.

The most popular tour takes you to the Royal Apartments, Silver Collection, and Treasury.

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Hofburg's summer residence

Click Schonbrunn Palace to read my web page on it.

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Austria wonders - Top 5 rankings

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

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Austrian Tourism Board

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Photo by Carlton Browne - CC BY 2.0

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