Imperial Palace

Seven centuries―that’s how long the Habsburgs ruled over large swathes of Central Europe, and for most of those years the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) in Vienna was the seat of this great empire. Take a walk inside and you will see how royalty lived―the private apartments and the state rooms are opulently decorated, and the various collections and museums showcase the art and artefacts that the royal family collected over generations. Peek inside Emperor Franz Joseph’s office and study, the austerity of which is in stark contrast to the sumptuous bedroom of his wife, Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sisi. The empress’s personal effects are on display in the Sisi Musuem, where you can see her ethereal summer dresses, her ceremonial coronation gown, her childhood harp, a six-piece mourning jewellery set, also her milk tooth! Elsewhere in the palace, there are gleaming chandeliers, rich tapestries, delicate stucco work and a vast collection of porcelain and silverware to admire. The piece de resistance is the 30-metre long Milan Centrepiece – an elaborate ensemble commissioned for a royal coronation in 1838. Also visit the Spanish Riding School for an unforgettable performance of magnificent white Lipizzan horses pirouetting about. 2015 marks the 450th anniversary of the riding school and grand gala is planned in Heldenplatz on June 26th.