1. The Vienna Hofburg: Austria’s Imperial Palace
The spectacular Hofburg Palace in Vienna was for centuries the seat of Austria’s monarchy, the powerful Habsburgs. Now the President conducts state business in the same rooms that once belonged to Emperor Joseph II. Nearly every Austrian ruler since 1275 ordered additions or alterations, resulting in many different architectural influences, including Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Classicism.
Together with its many attractive squares and gardens, the entire Hofburg complex occupies 59 acres encompassing 19 courtyards and 2,600 rooms. Highlights of a visit include the Imperial Silver Collection and an array of dining services giving a taste of the lavish imperial banquets that once took place here.
Also worth seeing are the Sisi Museum, focusing on the life and times of Empress Elisabeth, and the Imperial Apartments, a series of 19 rooms once occupied by Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife.
Address: Michaelerkuppel, 1010 Vienna
2. Salzburg Altstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
As the residence of Prince Archbishops, Salzburg was a spiritual center from the earliest days of Christianity in Europe. The Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter, in the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town) was founded by St. Rupert in AD 690 and served as the residence of the Archbishops until the early 1100s.
The Prince Archbishops employed some of the finest artists and architects of their times to build and decorate their churches, residences, and monasteries, and although these have been «updated» in the tastes of successive centuries, the medieval and Baroque buildings combine to form a beautiful old quarter to explore.
Highlights are St. Peter’s Abbey and its church, along with the beautiful cemetery and its catacombs, instantly recognizable as a filming site for The Sound of Music.
Nearby is the cathedral, and wandering among its colorful Baroque burgher houses, you’ll find charming squares and attractions that include the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, now a museum. Above the beautiful spires and cupolas soars Salzburg’s castle of Hohensalzburg, which you can reach by a funicular.
