Palaces, Castles, Villas and other Buildings of the Habsburg Family

[Kit]

the comparision with Balmoral fits in case of Laxenburg Castle ;-) Technically speaking it was personal property of Emperor Franz Joseoph and went then to his successor Emperor Karl, therefore it was not originally state property. But as you know the family of Emperor Karl had to go into exile and therefore all their properties went to the Republic of Austria (Hofburg, Schönbrunn as well as the personal properties like Belvedere and Laxenburg, etc, etc. etc.) . Whereas the descendants of Emperor Franz Joseph through his daughter Marie Valerie were able to keep their properties, therefore the Kaiservilla is still being owned by Markus Habsburg-Lothringen who is a great grandson of Emperor Franz Joseph.

 

[Johan]

the comparision with Balmoral fits in case of Laxenburg Castle ;-) Technically speaking it was personal property of Emperor Franz Joseoph and went then to his successor Emperor Karl, therefore it was not originally state property.

Thanks Kit !!!
I was in Vienna a few weeks ago and really loved the city. I found the tour of Schonbrunn dissapointing. I loved that you are able to walk through almost the whole of the Belvedere, but thought there would be some emphasis on Franz Ferdinand. (maybe a room or two). But it is now just an art museum .
I liked the Hofburg.
I should have made an effort to also go to the Laxenburg castles.

 

[Kit]

you're very welcome. Did you take the guided tour in Schönbrunn or just the audio tour? To be honest I always find the Hofburg tour somewhat disappointing and prefer Schönbrunn, but the most interesting parts of both Schönbrunn and the Hofburg (the same can be applied to all the former Habsburg properties) are the ones which you can not officially visit. I have several friends who live in the Hofburg and in Schönbrunn (there are apartments which can be rented under the roof and in the older parts of the castles) and it is always interesting to see the hidden parts .... . Once it was possible for a limited time to visit the cellar of the Hofburg under the National library and that was really amazing. Rumour has it there is a hidden street between the Hofburg and Schönbrunn which runs in the cellar but so far nothing could be proven .......
Laxenburg is not to my taste to be honest, the same goes with the Hermesvilla. They are so dark and depressing whereas I really love the Second Hofburg in Innsbruck, Tyrol which is surrounded by the Tyrolean Alps. The panorama is simply amazing. Inside the Hofburg in Innsbruck is a little dull 'cause most of the time the Imperial family lived in Vienna and therefore the rooms are not greatly decorated or furnished.

 

[Johan]

you're very welcome. Did you take the guided tour in Schönbrunn or just the audio tour?

I only did the audio tour

Thanks for your insight to the other properties !!
ooooh would be nice to visit all the hidden rooms.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Anymore castles? Because the one's I have seen so far are not very impressive.

 

[Graf]

I also liked the Hofburg in Innsbruck. Visited in summer 2011 and impressed with some of the larger rooms which had been renovated. The large hall with portraits of the children of Maria Theresa very interesting. But why is it all the daughters look the same? I want to visit Schloss Ambrus next which has another gallery famous for the Habsburg portraits. Anyone been?

 

[Warren]

The Belvedere Palace, Vienna

Anymore castles? Because the one's I have seen so far are not very impressive.

Try this one...
The Belvedere Palace, Vienna

Built for Prince Eugene of Savoy 1717-1723;
Acquired by Empress Maria Theresia about 1752;
Residence of the heir to the throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand from about 1896.

1. The Upper Belvedere (front)
2. The Upper Belvedere (back)
3. The park and gardens leading down to the Lower Belvedere

Images courtesy of Wikipedia and reproduced under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

 

[Kataryn]

The large hall with portraits of the children of Maria Theresa very interesting. But why is it all the daughters look the same?

There was a painter called Liotard who did pastell drawings of the children of the empress but lost out on painting them in oils because the Archduchesses did not like their portraits - too realistic, probably. In the drawings you can see that they didn'>t look similar....

After that debacle thenext painters took care to paint the princesses as they liked to see themselves....

 

[Kit]

this thread is really lacking some great pics of the Hofburg and Schönbrunn Castle. Somewhat surprised that nobody has already posted some ....

 

[Graf]

There was a painter called Liotard who did pastell drawings of the children of the empress but lost out on painting them in oils because the Archduchesses did not like their portraits - too realistic, probably. In the drawings you can see that they didn'>t look similar....

After that debacle thenext painters took care to paint the princesses as they liked to see themselves....

Thanks for that info. Googled Liotard and liked his pictures. Shame he didn't get the job. His pictures look like real people!

 

[Warren]

The Hofburg

.
The Hofburg, Vienna

The seat of the Habsburgs from 1438 until 1918.
A sprawling complex of interconnected and unconnected buildings that has expanded over the centuries to include residences, a chapel, administrative offices, museums, library, treasury, theatre, riding school, stables etc.

v Images courtesy of Wikipedia and reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

 

[Warren]

Schönbrunn Palace

.
Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna

The over-1400 room Rococo summer palace, built and expanded over the period 1696-1749, was used extensively by the Empress Maria Theresa and her large family, and later by the Emperor Franz Josef.

The Gloriette [last picture] was built on the 60-metre hill overlooking the palace in 1775 to evoke and glorify Habsburg power.

v Images courtesy of Wikipedia; some have been released into the Public Domain and some are reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

 

[Kit]

Thanks Warren as always you're the best! My personal favourite pic of the Hofburg: the new part of the Hofburg photographed from the Heldenplatz with the statue of Prince Eugen in the front.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The only part of the Palace of Schonbrunn that Empress Elisabeth really liked was the park.
She went for long walks in the park.
​

The Walnut Room is named for the wood used to line the walls and to make the furniture.
It was used as an audience chamber by Joseph II and by Franz Joseph.
​

 

[MAfan]

And in fact Empress Elisabeth had a private staircase installed, leading from her official apartments on the first floor to her private apartments on the ground floor, which had direct access to the garden. In this way she could leave the palace and go in the garden whenever she wanted and without being controlled.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna


Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna - YouTube

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I visited Schönbrunn Palace last week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's always been one of my favourite Royal Palaces so it was lovely to be able to see it in person. I much preferred it to Versailles, as Schönbrunn felt more like a family home to me whereas Versailles just felt like a large office or workplace. The audio guides were very informative and I learnt a lot. They said that Empress Zita lived there and I got the impression she lived there after she was deposed - is this correct? Her bathroom also looked quite modern so I was just wondering.

The scenery there is beautiful and I would defiantly recommend a visit to the Gloriette (it also has a very up market cafe but unfortunately it was closed by the time I got there - I only went to one cafe at the Palace which I was quite disappointed with, the food was good but the cafe itself was nothing special) as the sunset views are stunning. It's particularly good for photographers as one can get an almost unreal view of the sunsets and I think that's what most people who visit it are there for. Below are some photos of my visit:

 

[Kit]

No Empress Zita didn't live in Schönbrunn after the monarchy was abolished. The whole family had to leave Austria and went into exile.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Konopiste is the castle that Archduke Franz Ferdinand purchased for his residence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umz0CVg-vpQ

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Burg Freundsberg is a castle in Tyrol, Austria. In 1467 the castle was purchased by Archduke Sigismund of Austria. He ruled over Further Austria and the County of Tyrol.

 

[caethi]

I visited Schonbrunn Palace a few years ago. As I was walking around, I wondered--what were the circumstances surrounding the departure of the last royal occupant/s? For example, were they eating their breakfast when a message came from the government that they would have to leave the palace? What furnishings did they take with them? Were a few servants left around to maintain the place? Who locked the door? I suppose a little silly to wonder, but I have a tendency to try to sort out the practical aspects of historical events. Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer.

 

[M. Payton]

Very good questions and not silly at all for it is those type of questions that we come to see how royals handle being told to leave their homes and country.....makes a difference on how things happen then. I also would love to know those answers to your questions....Thank You.?

 

[Harold]

This book caught my eye. I've been wanting to learn more about Habsburg palaces. It's US$61 which is more than I would normally pay for a book. Does anyone have it? Can anyone recommend it? Thanks.


(I hope it is okay to ask this question.)

 

[eya]

Happy fourth Sunday of Advent from Schonbrunn Palace


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EpqnL8HXEAAbPDE?format=jpg&name=medium

 

[Blog Real]

Imperial and Royal residences of Austria-Hungary
In Vienna:

1. Palais Augarten
2. Belvedere Palace
3. Hermesvilla
4. Hofburg
5. Palais Archduke Albrecht
6. Palais Archduke Carl
7. Palais Archduke Carl Ludwig
8. Palais Archduke Ludwig Viktor
9. Palais Archduke Rainer
10. Palais Archduke Wilhelm
11. Neue Favorita
12. Schloss Kaiserebersdorf
13. Palais Modena
14. Neugebäude Palace
15. Schönbrunn Palace
16. Schloss Wilhelminenberg
17. Stallburg
18. Palais Toskana
19. Prater

In Cisleithania:

1. Kaiserhaus (Baden)
2. Schloss Artstetten
3. Ambras Castle
4. Eckartsau Castle
5. Schloss Halbturn
6. Schloss Hellbrunn
7. Schloss Hetzendorf
8. Schloss Hof
9. Burg am Grazer Schloßberg
10. Graz Castle
11. Hofburg, Innsbruck
12. Kaiservilla
13. Palais Meran
14. Schloss Klessheim
15. Konopiště Castle
16. Laxenburg castles
17. Linz Castle
18. Schloss Mayerling
19. Mirabell Palace
20. Miramare Castle
21. Jagdschloss Mürzsteg
22. New Castle (Żywiec)
23. Schloss Ort (Upper Austria)
24. Schloss Orth (Lower Austria)
25. Schloss Ort (Upper Austria)
26. Schloss Persenbeug
27. Prague Castle
28. Villa Wartholz
29. Wawel Castle
30. Schloss Weilburg
31. Wiener Neustadt Castle
32. Zákupy Castle

In Transleithania:

1. Alcsút Palace
2. Buda Castle
3. Gödöllő Palace
4. Pressburg Castle

other countries:

1. Royal Palace of Milan
2. Royal Villa of Monza

Abroad:

1. Achilleion (Corfu, Greece)
2. Son Maroig (Mallorca)

 

[Blog Real]

The Royal Palace of Gödöllő (German: Schloss Gödöllő, Hungarian: Gödöllői Királyi Kastély) or Grassalkovich Castle is an imperial and royal Hungarian palace located in the municipality of Gödöllő in Pest county, central Hungary. It is famous for being a favourite place of Queen Elisabeth of Hungary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_Gödöllő

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Schloss Wallsee in Sindleburg, Austria was the home of Archduchess Marie Valerie and her husband Archduke Franz Salvator.
http://www.luftbildsuche.de/info/lu...see-hiederoesterreich-oesterreich-399936.html

 

[JR76]

Schloss Wallsee in Sindleburg, Austria was the home of Archduchess Marie Valerie and her husband Archduke Franz Salvator.

http://www.luftbildsuche.de/info/lu...see-hiederoesterreich-oesterreich-399936.html

Archduchess Marie Valerie retained the ownership of Wallsee and other properties such as the spectacular Persenbeug and the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl by recognizing the Republican government of Austria in 1920. As far as I know they're still owned by her descendants today.

 

[Harold]

Caethi -


Sorry for the three year delay. I am not 100% certain of the circumstances of the Imperial family leaving Schonbrunn but I seem to recall reading - years and years ago - that the family decided to move to one of their privately owned villas to avoid being evicted. I believe they went to Mass in the palace chapel where the Volkslied was sung and then left. I don't think they were forced out by a mob or on a moment's notice. I think it was an orderly departure. Anyone know any more on this?

 

[Harold]

Does Karl, as current head of the House, own any castles or palaces? I know all the family had were expropriated but did he recover anything?


On another note does the current President of Austria actually live in the Hofburg or just have his office there?