Page 562 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

560  GERM AN Y , A USTRIA , AND SWITZERLAND

Exploring the Hofburg Complex

The vast Hofburg complex contains the former imperial
apartments and treasuries (Schatzkammer) of the Habsburgs,
several museums, a chapel, a church, the Austrian National
Library, the Winter Riding School, and the President of
Austria’s offices. The entrance to the imperial apartments and
the treasuries is through the Michaelertor on Michaelerplatz.
10th-century crown of the Holy Roman
State Apartments Empire, Schatzkammer
Michaelerkuppel-Feststiege.
Tel 01-533 7570. Open 9am–5pm displayed in 21 rooms, known as
daily. & 8 ∑ hofburg-wien.at the Schatzkammer or Treasury.
The State Apartments They include relics of the Holy
(Kaiserappartements) in the Roman Empire, the crown jewels,
Reichkanzleitrakt (1726–30) and and liturgical objects of the
the Amalienburg (1575) include imperial court. Admire the
the rooms used by Franz Joseph dazzling gold, silver, and porcelain
from 1857 to 1916, Empress once used at state banquets.
Elisabeth’s apartments from
1854 to 1898, and those where Burgkapelle
Czar Alexander I lived during Schweizerhof. Tel 01-533 9927.
the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Open 10am–2pm Mon–Thu,
Portrait of the Empress Elisabeth by 11am– 1pm Fri. Closed Jan 1,
Winterhalter (1865) Spanish Riding School Nov 1, Dec 8. & Vienna Boys’ Choir:
Tel 01-533 9031. Open for Jan–Jun & Sep–Dec: 9:15am Sun
Neue Burg performances & morning training (book by phone). &
∑ hofmusikkapelle.gv.at
Heldenplatz. Tel 01-5252 4484. Tue–Fri (except Jul). Closed public
Open 10am–6pm Wed–Sun. & hols. & 7 some areas. ∑ srs.at From the Schweizerhof, steps
The massive curved Neue Burg The Spanish Riding School is lead up to the Burgkapelle,
on Heldenplatz was added to believed to have been founded originally constructed in 1296.
the Hofburg in 1881–1913. in 1572 to cultivate the classic The interior has Gothic statues
Archaeological finds from skills of haute école horseman- in canopied niches. On Sundays,
Ephesus are on display in ship. By breeding and training visitors can hear the Wiener
the Ephesos Museum, while horses from Spain, the Habsburgs Sängerknaben, the Vienna Boys’
pianos that belonged to formed the Spanische Reitschule. Choir (see p573).
Beethoven, Schubert, and Today, 80-minute shows take
Haydn are housed in the place in the building known as Burggarten and Volksgarten
musical instrument museum – the Winter Riding School, built Burgring/Opernring/Dr-Karl-Renner-
the Sammlung alter Musik- in 1729–35 to a design by Josef Ring. Open daily.
instrumente. The weapons Emanuel Fischer von Erlach. Some of the space left around
collection in the Hofjagd the Hofburg after Napoleon had
und Rüstkammer is one of Schatzkammer razed part of the city walls was
the finest in Europe. There is Schweizerhof. Tel 01-525 240. transformed by the Habsburgs
also an excellent ethnological Open 9am–5:30pm Wed–Mon. into gardens.
collection – the Weltmuseum Closed Jan 1, May 1, Nov 1, Dec 25. The Volksgarten opened to
Wien, as well as collections from & 7 ∑ khm.at the public in 1820, but the
the Kunsthistorisches Museum Treasures amassed during Burggarten was the palace’s
(see p562). centuries of Habsburg rule are private garden until 1918.
Augustinerkirche
Augustinerstrasse 3. Tel 01-533 7099.
Open daily. ∑ hochamt.at
The church has one of the best-
preserved 14th-century Gothic
interiors in Vienna. In the Loreto
Chapel are a series of silver urns
that contain the hearts of the
Habsburg family. The church is
also celebrated for its music,
with masses by Schubert or
Haydn performed here on
Sundays and holidays. Ornamental pond in the Volksgarten, with Burgtheater in the background
For hotels and restaurants see p574 and p575

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