★★★★★ 5.0
Discover
Hofburg
This palace never stops growing—it's been under construction for over seven hundred years without ever being fully completed. Built in 1275 by Ottokar II of Bohemia as a medieval fortress surrounded by moat and drawbridge, it transformed into eighteen sprawling wings with twenty-six hundred rooms total. The Swiss Gate entrance, featuring ornate sixteenth-century design, marks where the Habsburg dynasty reshaped entire continents. Step inside the Redoutensaele, the opera house Emperor Joseph I built in 1705 where Beethoven premiered his Eighth Symphony and Vienna's elite gathered for lavish masked balls. The Gothic chapel dating from the fifteen hundreds still stands perfectly preserved. Most visitors never know Austria's president actually works here.
Did You Know?
- : The Hofburg Palace was the seat of power for the Habsburg dynasty for over 600 years, serving as the political heart of the Holy Roman Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with emperors like Franz Joseph I and Empress Sisi shaping European history within its walls.
- The palace complex is a stunning architectural tapestry, blending Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Historicist styles across its 18 wings and 2,600 rooms, with the oldest part—the Schweizerhof—dating back to the 13th century and featuring the ornate Swiss Gate, which bears Ferdinand I's coat of arms and is flanked by soldiers as a reminder of Vienna's turbulent past.
- Hidden beneath the grand halls, the Hofburg once hosted legendary balls where the saying 'The Congress dances' was born during the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15, and today, children can explore the Sisi Museum to learn about Empress Sisi's life, including her love for horses and her famous 13-course dinners.