Hofburg best place to visit & top-rated tourist attraction in Austria

Hofburg Best Place to Visit in Austria

Top-Rated Tourist Attraction in Austria

The Hofburg is the former main palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Located in the center of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and later expanded several times. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence. Since 1946 it has been the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria.

The Hofburg area has been the registered seat of government since 1279. The Hofburg has been expanded over the centuries to include various residences (including the Amalienburg and Albertina), the Imperial Chapel (Hofkapel or Bergkapel), the Imperial Library (Hofbibliothek), the Treasury (Schatzkammer), the Burgtheater, the Spanish Riding School. (Hofreitschule), Imperial Muse (Stolberg and Hofsthalungen).

The palace faces the Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square), which was planned to be the Kaiserforum[d] but was never completed, as ordered during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I.

As the Hofburg expanded, numerous architects carried out work, notably the Italian architect-engineers Filiberto Lucchese, Lodovico Burnacchini and Martino and Domenico Carlone, the Baroque architects Lucas von Hildebrand and Joseph Emanuel Fisch, Joseph Emanuel Fisch, and architects. of New Burgh built between 1881 and 1913.

Swiss Wing: The oldest parts of the palace date from the 13th century and were originally built by the last of the Babenbergers or Ottokar II of Bohemia. Earlier the castle of the Austrian rulers was located in the square called "Am Hof", near the Schottenstift (Scottish Monastery).

Stolberg: Although not physically connected to the rest of the complex, the Hofburg's Imperial Meuse (Stolberg) was originally built as a residence for then-Crown Prince Maximilian. It is said that Ferdinand I did not want to keep his son under his roof, as Maximilian leaned towards Protestantism.

Amalienburg: Just beyond the Swiss Gate is Amalienburg, named after Empress Amalie Wilhelmine, widow of Joseph I. However, this wing has already been in use for over a century, having been built as a residence for Emperor Rudolf II. Late Renaissance. Noteworthy is the small tower with its cupola and astronomical clock on its facade.

Leopoldine Wing: The link between Amalienborg and the Swiss Court is the Leopoldine Wing (Leopoldinischer Flügel) which was built in 1660 under Emperor Leopold I and thus named. The architect was Filiberto Lucchese, but after the 1683 siege by the Turks, Giovanni Pietro Tencala rebuilt the wing, installing an additional floor. Through its architecture, this wing still bears a connection to the late Renaissance. The offices of the Federal President are located in this wing.

Imperial Chancellery Wing: An additional father-son collaborative project led to the creation of the Winter Riding School (Winterreitskull) across from the Stolberg (and where the first Austrian parliament sat in 1848) and the Imperial Chancellery Wing (Reichskanzleitract) from the Leopoldine Wing.

Court Library: Originally a free-standing structure, the Court Library (Hofbibliothek) was located on the other side of the complex. Charles VI had the original building and the Pranksal main hall was built. Today it is under the patronage of the Austrian National Library. Its construction was started by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and completed by his son Joseph Emanuel in 1735.

Redoute Wing: A 17th-century opera house of Empress Maria Theresa that was converted into dance and concert halls now known as the Redoutensäle, consisting of a small and a large hall. Together with several smaller antechambers they form the redoubt wing.

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