The palace was built in the 13th century and housed the royal family for centuries. It now contains a museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Spanish Riding Academy home of the famous Lipizzan horses. ( tickets to this sell out quickly so if you are interested book early). Some of the areas were closed when I visited but you can walk through the breezeway front to back and take in the beauty of the building

The entire Hofburg complex is amazing and it’s worth it just to walk around and explore the exterior. The complex includes the Sisi Museum (which seems to be flooded with tourists at all times), Burgkappel where the Vienna Boys Choir sings, the Spanish Riding School and many other buildings. The complex is well sign-posted so you will know what you are viewing. Most of the buildings require a ticket for entry, but I would still visit the complex even if you don’t plan on entering any buildings because the architecture is amazing. It’s also bordered by several glorious parks.

You have to see the Hofburg on your trip to Vienna. It’s a majestic work of architecture housing so much history. On the ideal palace tour, Hofburg and Schonbrunn both deserve your attention. The Hofburg is usually more affordable to enter than the Schonbrunn, and the cost should be worth it for any history buff.

Extraordinary historical architectural complex. I can't be missed as it helps to understand the story of the imperial family until the first world war. O recommend an early entry at about 9am, we didn't queue, and we bought the tickets on the spot.

The section devoted to musical instruments is a must-see if you love musical instruments. The selection of old keyboard instruments alone is worth the price of admission. The arms and armour section is also spectacular, but the signage is, with a very few exceptions, only in German.

Since the Hofburg is such a massive complex, I only picked a few things to do. I first went by myself to look at the Roman ruins outside the entrance of the Sisi Museum. Then I took a tour of that particular museum and the imperial apartments. Sisi’s life was rather tragic, and I had read up a lot on her history, so it wasn’t a particularly “feel good” museum for me. She reminded me a bit of an old-fashioned Princess Diana who was too young to be thrust into such a difficult position and wasn’t really suited for the life of an empress. As time went on, she suffered a lot and then seemed more concerned about her looks (she was overly concerned with her waist size and completely over the top about her hair) and with pleasing herself than focusing on what good she could do as empress. (Some of her clothes and jewelry are displayed if you’re into that! Beautiful!) She was very glamorous, and people adored her, but she seemed to just want to run away from it all. Often she ran to Hungary, and she did do some good for the Hungarians at that time. She was treated terribly by her mother-in-law and basically was just a brood mare for the emperor even though it appears that he loved her in his way. It was all quite sad! The imperial apartments were interesting and gorgeous, but my favorite part of all was walking by the stables and seeing the horses brought through after their exercise. My guide timed it perfectly for us to see. My boys would probably have been very bored in the Sisi museum part, but it’s definitely educational and teaches you about the Habsburgs. The park is lovely, and the architecture will have your jaw on the floor! I could have spent many more hours here, and I was there for probably three. There’s just so much to see in Vienna!

Get a scheduled time for the SIsi museum eather very early in day or late in the day bc that gets crowded. It's not right st sisi entrance so ask if you get turned around. Bring coins for toilet. Visit the treasury, it's very interesting. We really enjoyed the palace.

Wonderful museum, it’s made really well and it’s mainly focused on empress’s Sissi history, including her personal objects and some beautiful reconstructions. The audio guide tells a lot of interesting facts and the division of the rooms is focused on many aspects of Sissi’s life (childhood, cinematography, interests). Other than being a beautiful museum, the staff is really nice and available: I wrote to the museum to have the photo of an object exposed (it’s not allowed to take photos) and they quickly sent me what I asked for, which was really appreciated. Go there! Don’t miss this if you visit Wien!

Gorgeous architecture in a city full of architecture. We toured Sisi Museum and saw a performance of the Spanish Riding School, which is attached to Hofburg. You can also take a carriage ride in the area. I recommend going at night to see the National Library lighted...really beautiful.

Another stunning Palace to visit in Vienna. This is where the you can see the Kiss painting by Gustav Klimt and the painting of Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Lots of other art work to see and all surrounded by lovely formal gardens and fountains. You can get to the Palace by bus or underground.