Vienna: Hofburg … Imperial Apartments

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Hofburg Palace Complex was the winter residence of the Habsburgs.

Built in the 13th century — and expanded several times over the course of their 630+ years of rule — it consists of multiple buildings … including residences, a chapel, a library, a treasury, a theater, and a riding school to name but a few. Hofburg, as a word, means “Castle of the Court” … which refers back to its Middle Age origins. Back then it had a more-castle-like look.

Just as it was the seat of government during the monarchy, it’s been the official residence and office of Austrian President since 1946. The 18 wings, 19 courtyards, and 2,600 rooms have been repurposed as a conference center, government offices, museums, and such. One source says nearly 5,000 people still work and live in the former palace complex.

Over the course of our stay in Vienna, we will be visiting several of the buildings. This morning, however, our visit to the Sisi Museum in the Imperial Chancellery Wing, led us to Amalienburg to check out the imperial apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth (Sisi).

It was in these rooms that the Emperor and Sisi lived and worked until the end of the monarchy. To say that red is the dominant color in most of the rooms would not be an understatement. The Rococo style rooms have rich stucco work gilded in gold. Bohemian crystal chandeliers twinkle from the ceiling. Tiled stoves that once heated the rooms now serve as part of the decorative furnishings. Portraits and sculptures — and many other priceless artifacts — adorn the walls, shelves, and tables.

I enjoyed wandering through these rooms more than the ones at Schloss Schönbrunn. Just as opulent as the ones there, these rooms had more of the imperial ambiance I was expecting, yet they were more intimate somehow.Leer más