THE PALACES 1 –

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOUSES OF VIENNA

A stroll which shows Vienna from its best side: the shine and splendour of the aristocratic residences of the Baroque period near the Imperial Palace Hofburg. You will be amazed at the luxurious lifestyle of bygone days. The palaces are well preserved, carefully restored and from famous architects such as: Hildebrandt, Fischer von Erlach, Martinelli, Carlone and Rossi.

City Walk – 2 hours
Rate € 140,- not incl. admission

Herrengasse. Right next to the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) begins the Herrengasse, where once the nobles lived. We will admire the Albertina (the palace of the favourite daughter of Maria Theresa), the Palffy Palace (where the six-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gave his first concert at the home of count Palffy), the Pallavicini Palace (home of Harry Lime in the film "The Third Man"), the legendary pastry shop Demel, the Looshaus (this building had once caused a scandal) and the Herberstein Palace (with the well-known Cafè Griensteidl – meeting place of litterateurs and intellectuals).

How the billionaires lived. The Freyung is one of the most beautiful places in the old city of Vienna, showing where the money was at home like: at the Palais Daun-Kinsky (a superb baroque palace, which now belongs to the industrialist Karl Wlaschek), at the Palace Batthyany-Schönborn (former owner – the governor of Croatia: Count Batthyany), at the Palace Harrach (until recently, family-owned) and at the Palace Ferstl (a historic palace from the 19th century – built for a Hungarian bank).

The centre of power. The last highlight of this tour: the Minoritenplatz (one of the oldest  squares in Vienna) where a number of aristocratic families took up residence from the 16th to the 18th century with: the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria (in a former palace of the Habsburgs), the Batthyany-Strattmann Palace, the Dietrichstein Palace (now the headquarter of the Ministry of Women), the Starhemberg Palace (now the headquarter of the Ministry of Education) and the Strattmann-Windischgrätz Palace.

The tour ends in front of the most magnificent building in this square: the Liechtenstein Palace which is still in the possession of Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein – Head of State of the Principality of Liechtenstein.