Hofburg Complex

The Hofburg, or Imperial Palace, stands in the middle of downtown Vienna. It consists of 18 wings and 19 courtyards and houses a large number of museums, displaying unique treasures and collections. I've only been to the complex once to see the Lipizzaner Museum and the Imperial Treasury. The Lipizzamer's are a famous breed of horses trained in Austria. The Treasury Museum contains a wide range of Secular and Sacred items from the imperial treasury. I don't have images from either of these museums because you aren't allowed to take them, but here are a few images of the buildings.
Captions are given below each photo and you can click on a thumbnail to get a larger view of each picture.


St Michael Gate is the most well known entrance to the Hofburg.	Another picture of St Michael Gate.	This statue sits to the right of St Michael Gate.	This one sits on the left of the gate.	The courtyard in front of the gate is called MichaelerPlatz. In the middle of the courtyard is an open Roman excavation displaying the remains of a Roman house. This picture shows the water system for the house.

Here is some more of the ruins.	This picture shows the roman house itself.	When you enter through St Michael Gate, you find yourself in the Old Castle Courtyard. In the center is this monument to Emperor Franz I.	Detail of the Chancellery Wing from inside the Old Castle Courtyard.	This Equestrian Manument of Archduke Karl sits in HeldenPlatz, outside the new castle, or Neue Burg.
		Quicktime Movie Directory
The New Castle, or Neue Burg, as seen from the HeldenPlatz. The Neue Burg is where Hitler chose to make his triumphant announcement in 1938 declaring the official union of Germany and Austrian.	This gate, called the Swiss Gate, leads from the Old Castle Courtyard to the Swiss Courtyard, where you can find the entrance to the Imperial Treasury. Architecturally, it is considered a very important piece in the Renaissance style.	A small, low-quality quicktime movie of HeldenPlatz outside the Neue Burg.