The Hofburg is a stunning palace with iconic architecture in the centre of Vienna and is a joy to admire. It is a fantastic place for sightseeing and plenty of things that you can see for free. You can see all the wonderful buildings that make up the palace, including some wonderful courtyards.
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On all three visits to Vienna, we have explored the Hofburg Palace, including winter and summer trips. As well as exploring the free parts, there are some museums and tours that you can pay to enter. They include many of these on the Vienna Pass.
What is The Hofburg Palace in Vienna?
The Hofburg Palace is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty rulers. Nowadays is the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria.
They built the palace in the 13th century and expanded several times over the years. In the days of the empire, it served as the imperial winter residence. The other palace in the city, The Schönbrunn Palace, was the summer residence.
The palace is a fantastic place to have a wander, including admiring the statues in Heroes Square and the inner courtyard. The St Michaels Wing of the palace is stunning, with three green domes on top and intricate architecture.
Things To See For Free At The Hofburg Palace in Vienna
Visitors can explore lots of the sight for free and see the grand architecture of the Hofburg Palace. It makes for a lovely place to mooch around and see the grand architecture and impressive statues.
The St Michaels Wing
St Michaels Wing of the palace is pretty iconic and very eye pleasing. This is a white building with a central green dome and two other domes at the edges. Thus, it is very distinctive. The view from Michaelerplatz near St Michaels Church is splendid and one of my favourites. St Michael’s Church near the entrance is one of many special churches to see in Vienna.
The square to the front of this entrance gets very busy with tourists, especially at busy times. The entrance into the complex here is decorative with statues and golden emblems.
Michaelertor Gate
The Michaelertor Gate connects Michaelplatz to the Inner Courtyard and is rather pleasant to see. It is baroque in design and has lots of features to see. On the Michaelplatz side, there are two fountains to see and a wonderful facade.
Inside the gate, you pass under the distinctive dome and pass the entrance of the Sisi Museum. Inside the gate, it is beautifully decorated with sculptures. The inside of the dome is also splendid, so make sure you look upwards when passing through. This can get very busy with people visiting.
The decor of the gate from the inner courtyard is also very eye-catching and blends perfectly with the Michael’s Wing of the palace.
Inner Courtyard
The inner courtyard behind St Michaels Wing is a beautiful and photogenic square in the Hofburg Palace. The square is home to the Kaiser Franz Monument, a very ornate piece of art.
The square is rather big, with the only way in and out is via some very ornate arches. This area also was a great place to stop and feed my dog while visiting Vienna. The square has public conveniences in the corner, ideal for people on a long walk exploring the complex.
If lucky, you might get the see a marching band practicing in full military attire, however, you will see the horse and carts as they ferry tourists around.
Kaiser Franz Monument
In the centre of the inner courtyard, you can see the ornate Kaiser Franz Monument. The monument is a photographer magnet and also there’s lots of selfie taking going on. They built it to commemorate Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor. He was also the first Austria-Hungary Emperor upon dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.
This is a bronze statue of Emperor Francis I. Emperor Francis is in classical Roman attire on this statue. Each corner of the monument are four statues depicting the imperial virtues. These values were; religion, peace, justice, and strength.
Heldenplatz
Towards the rear of the inner courtyard is a grassy area called Heldenplatz, which is great for the dog on his extender lead. This area is a delightful spot for seeing the other wings of the palace and the impressive outer gates. The architecture here is candy for the eyes and lovely to sit and take it all in.
Heldenplatz is a public square & garden with some with imposing statues. One such statue is the Erzherzog Karl Equestrian Statue. His full name is Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Laurentius of Austria. He was an Austrian field-marshal and also the third son of Emperor Leopold II.
Neue Burg Wing
Also visible from Heldenplatz is the Neue Burg Wing of the palatial complex. This is a relatively new wing being completed in the 20th century.
It is home to the natural library and a few museums. In dark times, Hitler used the balcony of this wing to announce Austria’s annexation into Germany.
Prince Eugene of Savoy Equestrian Statue
At the front of the Neue Burg Wing in Heldenplatz, you can see an Equestrian Statue of Prince Eugene. He was a military genius that served three emperors. This is a bronze statue they Franz Joseph unveiled in 1865. It’s a nice statue to see and seems to attract lots of people taking photographs.
Outer Castle Gate
Another significant structure to see while walking through the palace is the grand Äußere Burgtor or Outer Castle Gate. Lots of horse & traps pass through here, as do many pedestrian tourists. This gate leads into the museum quarter and the picturesque Burgring.
They constructed the Outer Castle Gate with 5 major arches. These look impressive. They built the gate in the 1800s to replace the one destroyed by Napoleon’s army.
Josephs-Statue at Josefsplatz in Vienna
Josefsplatz is home to Josephs-Statue, an impressive statue of Kaiser Joseph II. This is on the east side of the complex towards Stallburg. As it is outside of the complex, this area was much quieter for exploring with the dog.
In the middle of Josefsplatz square, you can see an equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II. They modelled the statue of Marc Aurel on the Capitol in Rome. They created it between 1795 and 1807 at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Schweizerhof – Swiss Court
Another pleasant courtyard to find when exploring the palace is Schweizerhof. Schweizerhof translates to the Swiss Court and is rather pleasant to see.
The most eye-catching feature here is Schweizertor AKA the Swiss Gate, which is nicely decorated and rather colourful. They built they gate in 1552 and 1553 and they named it in the 18th century after the swiss guard. One thing to see on the gate is the crest of Emperor Ferdinand I.
If you look up when passing through the gate, the frescoes are beautiful. They all tell a story of the Habsburg history.
From Schweizerhof you can access the Imperial Treasury and crown jewels, which is a paid for part. They included access to this on the Vienna Card. You can also see the Hofburgkapelle, which was a chapel that served many of the imperial families of Vienna. Overall, the Swiss court is well worth exploring.
Volksgarten A Nice Place To Sit When Sightseeing
If you want to sit and chill while exploring the palace complex, a great place to visit is Volksgarten. Volksgarten or Peoples Garden is free to enter and has lots of benches to sit on and enjoy the views of the area. On my visit, I enjoyed sitting amongst the flowerbeds and enjoying a beer. There is also a cafe for refreshments and drinks here.
Volksgarten is one of many parks in Vienna but this is closest to the Hofburg. The park dates back to 1821, and they built it on the old city fortifications that Napolean destroyed in 1809. The flowerbeds and garden features are well worth seeing when in Vienna.
Paid Areas At The Hofburg Palace in Vienna
Some of the paid for attractions to visit at the Hofburg Palace. You can arrange these individually, however many entrance in included in the Vienna Pass.
Stallburg in Vienna
The Stallburg is a renaissance-style building which is part of the palatial complex. This is on the east side of the complex. However, it’s not joined to the main palace. They constructed this unique building in the mid-16th century to be the residence of Maximilian II. Maximilian II of the Austrian House of Habsburg was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 until his death in 1576.
They subsequently used the building as the Stallburg Gallery, then the Imperial stables. Currently, it’s used by the Spanish Riding School or Spanische Hofreitschule. The Spanish Riding School is an institution dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses. The horses performing here are a popular tourist attraction.
Sisi Museum
The Sisi Museum is in the St Michaels wing with the entrance under the distinctive dome. It’s one of the more popular parts of the site to visit. While walking the do in the palace grounds, tourists often asked us for directions to the Sisi Museum.
You can pay to visit and I also include entry with the Vienna Pass. In the museum, you can see various personal items that once belonged to Empress Elisabeth. This includes things like fans, clothing, gloves and even her travelling medicine chest.
Schmetterlinghaus
Also in the grounds is Burggarten is Schmetterlinghaus, a fascinating butterfly house. This is an art nouveau palm house and is home to lots of butterflies, including some that are 30cm wide. These live in a tropical like setting.
Welt Museum
Also part of the site is the Welt Museum, an interesting place to visit. The Welt Museum is in the Neue Burg Wing and looks great from the outside. The museum it the largest anthropological museum in Austria, which they established in 1876. Welt Museum has a massive collection of ethnographic and archaeological artefacts from around the world. If you purchase a ticket for the Welt Museum, you can also access the Imperial Armoury and the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments.
Map of Hofburg Palace in Vienna
At various points of the site, you can find maps to help you find specific parts of the area.
Can You Visit The Hofburg Palace With A Dog?
I have visited the Hofburg Palace in Vienna with my dog, usually as part of a bigger dog walk. They allowed the dog to explore the grounds of the complex and was great fun. An ideal way to explore and peruse the grand architecture. Something you cannot do at the other famous palaces in Vienna.
Visiting with the dog, however, had some limitations, including browsing the interior of the palace. We met many other dog owners exploring the grounds and courtyards of the palace. Heldenplatz was a popular hot spot for canine visitors.
Visitor Information & Book a Tour
The palace is open for tours daily. Options include an audio tour or one with a knowledgeable guide. Typically, it is open from 10am until 5pm, however, the last admission is at 4pm. They have a comprehensive visitor information section on their website, you can also purchase tickets there too.
Is The Hofburg Palace in Vienna Worth Visiting?
The Hofburg Palace and its grounds are a top sight in Vienna city centre and are well worth visiting. You can stroll through the grounds for free, which we did many times, including on dog walks. The architecture and monuments impressed me and really enjoyed seeing it. It is near many other places of interest in Vienna, so you may pass many times like we did.