What it is
The Hofburg is one of the three most important historic buildings in Austria along with the Vienna Hofburg and Schönbrunn. Maria Theresa had it rebuilt between 1754 and 1773, and the Giants' Hall (Riesensaal), with its ceiling fresco by Franz Anton Maulbertsch and portraits of the imperial family, is the highlight of the state rooms. The tour also includes the apartment furnished for Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) and the Gothic cellar of the older castle.
The Hofgarten, the former court garden, lies just behind the palace and is free to enter.
Getting there by bus
Museumstraße stop, served by trams 1, 2, 3 and 6, the Stubaitalbahn and buses A, C, J, K and M, is about three minutes' walk away, and the Sightseer stops at Treffpunkt Museum outside the Hofkirche next door.
The palace is on the Rennweg side of the old town, a short walk from the Golden Roof and the cathedral.
