House of Habsburg Tour

The story of the Habsburg monarchy is one of triumph and tragedy. During the heyday of this dynasty, Vienna was a centre of power and music. This is vividly reflected in the Neue Hofburg, the most recent tract to be added to the Vienna Hofburg, on account not only of the history of the building itself but also of the two collections it houses, namely the Imperial Armoury and the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments.

Our tour takes you on a journey through the entire history of the Habsburgs, from the Late Middle Ages to the modern era. It includes suits of armour that cost the equivalent of a high-end sports car, a fortepiano that Mozart once played on, and the only authentic wax bust of Joseph Haydn in existence. The tour also takes in corridors and rooms intended for Empress Elisabeth. In fact, the empress, who was assassinated in Geneva in 1898, never lived in the suite of rooms that had been designed for her.

...the Hofburg was the Habsburgs' center of power!
...the Habsburgs provided 21 Roman-German kings and emperors1
...the private apartments of Empress Elisabeth were planned in the Neue Hofburg!
...the Hofburg has its roots in the 12th century!

The history of the Habsburg monarchy alternates between triumph and tragedy. Under this dynasty, Vienna was a center of power and music.

One place where all this can be traced in a unique way is the Neue Hofburg, the newest wing of the Vienna Hofburg. This is partly due to the building itself, which is steeped in history, and partly to the two collections it houses: the Court Hunting and Armory and the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments.