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Vienna · Austria

Hofburg Imperial Palace

Known locally as Hofburg Wien

The Hofburg is Vienna’s sprawling imperial palace complex, linking courtyards, museums, ceremonial rooms and institutions around Heldenplatz and the old centre.

Plan a trip here Website / visitor information
Hofburg Imperial Palace C.Stadler/Bwag / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Typical visit
3 hours
Region
Vienna
Last checked
8 Aug 2026

Why visit

Choose the Hofburg to understand how the Habsburg court operated in the heart of Vienna rather than at a suburban summer residence.

What you will see

  • Explore the imperial apartment and museum areas that are open.
  • Walk the courtyards and Heldenplatz.
  • Combine with nearby museums and the historic centre.

History

Beginning as a medieval stronghold, the Hofburg expanded for centuries as Habsburg rulers added wings, ceremonial spaces and administrative buildings, producing the layered complex visible today.

Photographs

Hofburg Imperial Palace

C.Stadler/Bwag / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 · full attribution on the image credits page.

Visitor tips

  1. 1

    Use Michaelerplatz or Heldenplatz approaches as the practical arrival point.

  2. 2

    Explore the imperial apartment and museum areas that are open.

  3. 3

    Check the official source on the day for closures, events or changed access arrangements.

About Vienna

Austria’s capital combines imperial landmarks, major art collections, music institutions and an easy-to-navigate historic centre.

Open the Austria guide

Combine it with

More to see around Vienna

All of Vienna
Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens Vienna · Austria Former Habsburg summer residence with state rooms, formal gardens and a vast landscaped estate on Vienna’s western side. St. Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna · Austria Vienna’s landmark Gothic cathedral dominates Stephansplatz with a patterned roof, tall south tower and centuries of ecclesiastical history. Belvedere Palace Vienna · Austria Upper and Lower Belvedere form a Baroque palace ensemble with formal gardens and major Austrian art collections. Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna · Austria Vienna’s Museum of Art History presents Habsburg collections in an imposing nineteenth-century Ringstrasse building opposite the Natural History Museum. Albertina Museum Vienna · Austria The Albertina combines celebrated graphic-art holdings, changing exhibitions and historic state rooms in a central palace above the old city. Vienna State Opera Vienna · Austria Vienna’s principal opera house is both a working performance venue and an architectural landmark on the Ringstrasse.