Hofburg

The Habsburgs' winter palace and, for more than six centuries, the centre of their empire — today a city within the city that still houses the office of the Austrian Federal President.

The oldest parts go back to the thirteenth century; the Swiss Gate with its painted Renaissance portal dates from the 1550s. Almost every generation added a wing, so the complex runs from medieval courtyards to the curved Neue Burg on Heldenplatz, finished only in the early twentieth century. The domed Michaelertor facing the Old Town was completed in 1893 to Baroque plans drawn up in the eighteenth century.

The Hofburg is not a single visit but a cluster: the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection share one ticket (€20 when checked on sisimuseum-hofburg.at in September 2026, with fixed time slots); the Imperial Treasury, the Spanish Riding School, the State Hall of the National Library and the Imperial Chapel, where the Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday Mass, all have their own entrances and tickets. The Silver Collection is being refurbished in autumn 2026.

The courtyards, passages and Heldenplatz are free and make the best short cut between the Old Town and the MuseumsQuartier. Choose one or two interiors rather than trying all of them in a day. Overview: Vienna's palaces.