The Hofburg, Vienna

The Hofburg, in the very centre of the city, is the official seat of the Habsburgs. The palace was extended vastly throughout the long rule of the Habsburg dynasty. The result today is a gigantic conglomerate of buildings, in various architectural styles, which include 18 wings and 19 courtyards, covering a vast area.

At the heart of the Hofburg originally was a castle, but sadly only part of its moat remains. The oldest architectural feature is the late 15th Century gate, known as the Swiss Gate.

The front of the Hofburg is actually the newest part. It was built in the 1860’s in its vast curved colonnaded form. The Hofburg is an imperial residence with an absolute wealth of designs, as each Habsburg ruler added his or her own buildings to those already existing. It is literally a city within a city. Its creation involved the highest-ranking architects of the day. These buildings today are not only architectural gems; they house amazing artefacts, many of which are much older than the buildings themselves. Inside the Hofburg complex and many different building and museums.