Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg is a collection of palaces built over more than 600 years. It began as a thirteenth-century fortress and grew to 18 wings and 19 courtyards as Habsburg rulers added to it. They governed from here until 1918, and part of the complex still holds the offices of Austria's president.

The Swiss Wing contains the medieval core. The dome facing Michaelerplatz was completed at the end of the 1800s, and Neue Burg on Heldenplatz was finished in 1913. Walk in from Michaelerplatz, pass through the courtyards, and come out at Heldenplatz. That route is free. The Sisi Museum, Imperial Apartments, Treasury, National Library, and Spanish Riding School are separate visits.