Imperial Vienna: Silver Collection, Imperial Treasury, National Library

Imperial Silver Collection

The Imperial Silver Collection in the Imperial Palace provides insights into the court dining culture of the former imperial dynasty.

Valuable porcelain and crystal glasses, magnificent centerpieces and services, as well as simple kitchenware made from copper can be seen in the Imperial Silver Collection. The most impressive exhibit is the 30 meter-long "Milan centerpiece", which was created for the coronation of Emperor Ferdinand I as king of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia in 1838.

Also on view are porcelain from East Asia, from Sèvres (a gift from Louis XV of France to Maria Theresa) and from Vienna, as well as panoramic plates, glazed earthenware, gold- and silverware. This includes the Vienna court table silver and the gold-plated "Vermeil service", an extensive showpiece service for 140 people.

Imperial Treasury Vienna

The most important treasury in the world is home to two imperial crowns as well as the Burgundian treasure and the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation is the highlight of the collection: Created in the second half of the 10th century, it was used to crown the empire's emperors. The octagonal crown was highly symbolic and is decorated with numerous biblical references.

The second important crown in the Imperial Treasury is the Austrian imperial crown. It was made in 1602 as a private crown for Emperor Rudolf II. (1552-1612). From 1804, it acted as the crown of the newly created Austrian Empire. However, it was never used to crown an Austrian emperor.

Austrian National Library, State Hall

The State Hall, the heart of the Austrian National Library, is one of the most beautiful library halls in the world. It is the biggest Baroque library in Europe.

The former Court Library was created in the first half of the 18th century as a private wing of the Hofburg imperial residence. Emperor Karl VI. ordered its construction. The library was built by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach according to plans of his father, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

The impressive state hall of the library is almost 80 m long and 20 m high and is crowned by a dome that is magnificently decorated with frescoes by the court painter Daniel Gran. More than 200,000 volumes are exhibited here, among them the comprehensive library of Prince Eugene of Savoy as well as one of the largest collections of Martin Luther’s writings from the Reformation Era.

Among the exhibits are two exquisite Venetian baroque globes: one for the earth and one for the sky, each with a diameter of more than one meter.

Vienna. Hofburg - Imperial Palace

Vienna's Imperial Palace is one of the biggest palace complexes in the world. The oldest parts date to the 13th century, with construction having continued right into the 20th century. The Imperial Palace was the residence and seat of government of the Habsburg emperors until 1918. Today, it is home to numerous museums with outstanding collections, the Spanish Riding School, a congress center, the seat of the Austrian Federal President as well as the historic Heldenplatz.

The Imperial Apartments

Visitors can explore the private and official chambers of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth in the imperial apartments inside Vienna's Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace in Vienna served as the residence and workplace of the imperial family until the end of the monarchy in 1918. The chambers of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth can be visited. The tour leads through 24 rooms, from the imperial staircase, through audience rooms and studies, to the living rooms and bedrooms of their majesties. Emperor Franz Joseph and "Sisi" lived here with their children and the entire court.

The rooms are in the Rococo style, with rich stucco work, magnificent chandeliers made from Bohemian crystal and tiled stoves made from ceramic. Highlights of the tour are the dressing-cum-exercise room and the bathroom of the empress. Sisi spent most of her time in the exercise room. Her day began here at six o'clock in the morning with the daily hairdressing ritual. The exercise equipment installed here, such as the wall bars, high bar and rings in the door frame, are still retained. The dining room with its opulently laid table is also impressive.

Sisi Museum

Beautiful and celebrated Empress Elisabeth has long since become a cult figure. The Sisi Museum in the Imperial Apartments of the Imperial Palace compares the myth and the facts. Among the highlights are numerous personal objects once owned by Elisabeth as well as the most famous portraits of the beautiful empress.

Elisabeth’s private life is at the center of the exhibition: her rebellion against court ceremony, her escape into a beauty cult, her obsession with being slim, athletic performance, and effusive poetry. The show focuses on Elisabeth's private life, her rebellion against the court ceremonial, her flight into beauty, sporting excellence, travel and rapturous poetry. From the carefree time as a young girl in Bavaria to the surprising engagement with the Austrian emperor to her 1898 assassination in Geneva, the museum shows the restless life of the legendary empress.

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien     (Art History Museum)

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) was built in 1891 near the Imperial Palace to house the extensive collections of the imperial family. With its vast array of eminent works and the largest Bruegel collection in the world, it is considered one of the most eminent museums in the world.

Numerous major art works of European art history, among them Raphael’s "Madonna in the Meadow," Vermeer’s "The Allegory of Painting," the Infanta paintings by Velazquez, masterworks by Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Titian and Tintoretto are housed in the paintings gallery. The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection contains fascinating treasures from mysterious cultures long past.