Hofburg Palace
Palacio Hofburg
Hofburg Palace (Michaelerkuppel, Vienna) – this is the one-time winter residence of Hapsburg royalty, located in the heart of Vienna. Its original construction occurred in the 13th century, which each monarch adding to taking away wings since then. These days, less than 2 dozen of the over 2,600 rooms are currently open to the public. Three museum attractions provide historically accurate insights into the tradition and daily life at court: the authentically-furnished Imperial Apartments, the tasteful Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection as a comprehensive collection of Imperial utilitarian objects. Among the areas seen here is the Swiss court (a courtyard where Swiss mercenaries where quartered, and were in charge of palace security). This site is a major Viennese attraction, with 600,000 visitors drawn here annually. Admission: €12 (adult), €8 (children). Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (daily) – open only from March 25 to November 3rd.
For horse lovers, there are also quarters where the famed Lipizzaner stallions are still kept and trained (Hofburg stables). However, the training schedule is often done (or cancelled) on short notice, so those interested in this activity should check with Hofburg stables’ website for more details (including ticket info): www.srs.at