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Café Central
Park just around the corner on Freyung
and fortify yourself with coffee and a
slice of Altenbergtorte cake at grand Café
Central (www.palaisevents.at/cafecentral.html;
STRETCH 01, Herrengasse 14; h7.30am-10pm Mon-Sat,
10am-10pm Sun; W; mHerrengasse).
YOUR LEGS The Walk » Walk southeast on Herrengasse for
350m, then through the Michaelertor palace gate
VIENNA to the imposing Hofburg.
Hofburg
Nothing symbolises Austria’s culture and
heritage more than the Hofburg (Imperial
Palace; www.hofburg-wien.at; 01, Michaelerkuppel;
g1A, 2A Michaelerplatz, mHerrengasse, jD, 1,
2, 71, 46, 49 Burgring), seat of the Habsburgs
Start/Finish: Café Central from 1273 to 1918. Its oldest section is
the 13th-century Schweizerhof (Swiss
Distance: 3.4km Courtyard). The palace owes its size and
architectural diversity to one-upmanship;
Duration: Four hours sections were added by new rulers,
including the Gothic Burgkapelle (Royal
Chapel), early baroque Leopold Wing,
16th-century Amalia Wing and 18th-
Vienna’s grandeur unfolds in all century Imperial Chancery Wing.
its glory on this city stroll, from The Walk » It’s a 750m stroll southwest
the timeless elegance of its through Heldenplatz, passing the twin museums
Naturhistorisches and Kunsthistorisches on
Kaffeehäuser (coffee houses) to Maria-Theresien-Platz, to the MuseumsQuartier.
its monumental Hofburg palace, MuseumsQuartier
museums, parks and opulent opera The MuseumsQuartier (Museum Quarter;
house, as well as magnificent www.mqw.at; 07, Museumsplatz; hinformation
& ticket centre 10am-7pm; mMuseumsquartier,
churches. Volkstheater) is a remarkable ensemble of
museums, cafes, restaurants and bars
inside former imperial stables. With over
60,000 sq metres of exhibition space, the
complex is one of the world’s most ambi-
tious cultural spaces.
The Walk » Head southeast through the
MuseumsQuartier’s arched laneways to
Mariahilfer Strasse. Turn left and continue 350m
northeast to the Burggarten.
Burggarten
The Burggarten (Castle Garden; www.
Take this walk on Trip bundesgaerten.at; 01, Burgring; h6am-10pm Apr-
Oct, 7.30am-5.30pm Nov-Mar; mMuseumsquartier,
¤ jD, 1, 2, 71) is a leafy oasis amid the city’s
hustle and bustle. The marble statue of
Mozart is the park’s most famous tenant,
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