Photos: Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Gustav Klimt, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Gustav Klimt, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Hofburg's imperial wings, from Michaelerplatz
Your local guide
Elisabeth Steiner
View profile
Highlights
- A palace grown in stages, not one design
- The oldest surviving Renaissance gate
- Centuries of building phases in one courtyard
- A domed entrance framing the main facade
- Habsburg history explained wing by wing
About this tour
This session covers the Hofburg's main wings, seen from Michaelerplatz through to the inner courtyards. You see the domed entrance, the In der Burg courtyard where different building phases meet, and finally the Swiss Gate, the palace's oldest surviving entrance. It is a session built around understanding the complex as several buildings rather than one.
I move through each square at a steady pace, explaining which century built which wing as we go. Questions come in throughout, especially about specific emperors, and I answer them in detail where my research allows. A short list of the wings and their dates follows once we finish.
This suits anyone with a serious interest in Habsburg history rather than a quick highlights pass. It also works well as a first session for visitors new to Vienna's imperial history.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Vienna before heading out.
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Michaelerplatz Dome 21 min
You see the Hofburg's domed entrance from Michaelerplatz, the square that opens directly onto the palace's main facade.
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In der Burg Courtyard 21 min
Inside the courtyard, I explain which wings date from which century, since the Hofburg grew in stages rather than as one design.
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Swiss Gate 21 min
At the Swiss Gate, the camera holds on the oldest surviving entrance, a Renaissance addition to a much older medieval core.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Vienna: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Wiener schnitzel and Leopoldstadt, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Vienna time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Vienna, showing you Michaelerplatz Dome and In der Burg Courtyard live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet and I send the link with your booking. I carry my phone through each square myself, holding steady on the details as I explain them.
Times shown in Vienna time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 30 Oct · 10 seats left From 26,00 €
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