Hofburg Vienna Eventlocation — Attraction in Vienna

The Hofburg is the political center of Vienna, of Austria, in fact of the entire Empire. It is the palace of the Holy Roman Empire at the time when the Habsburg ruling family dominated it’s politics. The Hofburg is the palace at the heart of the monarchy and today is the administrative center of the republic. What was once state rooms in which the Emperor would grant audience, today where the Austrian President hold office. To explore the world of the Habsburg, you have to start right here.

It all began with Rudolf I, the first Habsburg to move the power base to Austria and began its dynasty of the ruler of Austria. Right here, inside the In der Burg, stands the monument to the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor Franz II who became Kaiser Franz I, the first emperor of the Austrian Empire. Confused the hell out of me trying to piece together that Francis I and Francis II is the same person, when there’s another Francis I in the same family.

The Hofburg is as symbolic as Buckingham is the British crown or The Forbidden Palace to the Chinese dynasty. It is the soul of the empire. It’s pretty surreal exploring the grounds. As I walked past rooms after rooms, wings after wings, the grandeur of it doesn’t fully sink in until layers upon layers of history piles on me. Begin at Heldenplatz and make your way to the other side on St Michael’s Square before exploring further towards Albertina. You can literally spend the...

Having been fond of my memories of Schönbrunn for well over two decades, my latest visit to Vienna made me a convert of the Hofburg. When visiting Schönbrunn this time, I was dismayed by the "conveyor belt" aspect of the whole access system. Group after group after group of visitors are pushed along one of two possible routes (differing in length) with no consideration for the fact that guided tours are a stumbling block at every turn, and I definitely do not recommend getting stuck with a multitude of sweating fellow visitors on a hot summer day, in spite of the lovely Schönbrunn ambience. The Hofburg, on the other hand, was a breeze, possibly also thanks - in part - to the fact that tours hard-pressed for time probably drop the Hofburg in favour of Schönbrunn. That's the real bonus for Hofburg visitors. You can take your time wandering about the various collections (the amount of cutlery, porcelain and glassware can make you dizzy after a while) or around the rooms that were occupied by members of the Habsburg dynasty. All in a quieter environment, slowly absorbing whatever your senses send your way. Magic. It is simply a pity that world-famous attractions are doomed to suffer from their...

Impressive! Originally named "Castle of the Court", denotes its origins when initially constructed during the Middle Ages. Initially planned in the 13th century as the seat of the Dukes of Austria, the palace expanded over the centuries, as they became increasingly powerful. From 1438 to 1583, and again from 1612 to 1806, it was the seat of the Habsburg kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and thereafter until 1918 the seat of the Emperors of Austria. Since then the palace has continued in its role as the seat of the head of state and is today used by the Austrian Federal President. It is also the permanent home of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in...