Hofburg

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  • Address
    Rennweg 1, Altstadt
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  • Phone
    587 186

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Lonely Planet review

Demanding attention with its lavish façade and cupolas, the Hofburg was one of Maria Theresia's favourites; though it's barely a rabbit hutch when compared with her other home, Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna. The state apartments are a rococo feast, adorned with gold swirls and chandeliers, but the real eye-catcher is the 31m-long Riesensaal (Giant's Hall).

The hall is embellished with frescoes and paintings of Maria Theresia and her 16 children (including Marie Antoinette), who look strangely identical - maybe the artist was intent on avoiding royal wrath arising from sibling rivalry in the beauty stakes.