Hofburg Palace

Innere Stadt, Austria

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: 24/7
Wheelchair access: Partly accessible

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

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The Hofburg, located in Vienna's Innere Stadt, stands as the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. Originally built in the thirteenth century by Ottokar II of Bohemia and documented as a seat of government from 1279, the palace underwent extensive expansion across centuries, evolving into a sprawling complex of multiple residences, chapels, libraries, and ceremonial spaces. Notable architects including the Italian engineer Filiberto Lucchese, Baroque masters Lukas von Hildebrandt and the Fischer von Erlach family, and later designers of the Neue Burg (1881–1913) shaped its architectural development. The palace served as the imperial winter residence while Schönbrunn Palace functioned as the summer seat. Today it faces Heldenplatz, which Emperor Franz Joseph I ordered as part of an incomplete Kaiserforum scheme. Since 1946, the Hofburg has been the official residence and workplace of Austria's president.