THE PALACES 2 – THE INTERIORS

The bus tour to the luxury residencesresidences of the high society of days gone by – with a visit to the interiors. You will admire the magnificent palaces of the Ringstrasse, the baroque Belvedere Palace (the Summer Residence of Prince Eugene), the summer residence of the Liechtenstein dynasty and the Imperial Apartments of the Hofburg. Upon request we will show you the Imperial Apartments of Schoenbrunn Palace (instead of the Imperial Palace Hofburg).

Sightseeing by bus or mini-bus – 2-3 hours
Rate € 180/240,- not incl. bus/admission

The Palaces along the Ringstrasse. The Ringstrasse is an elegant boulevard with many magnificent palaces. It encircles the old city of Vienna and was constructed in the late 19th century.

In our program: the Epstein Palace (home of a Jewish banker), the Ephrussi Palace (also the residence of a Jewish banker), the Dumba Palace (home of a Greek industrialist and playboy), the Wertheim Palace (home of the famous Wertheim dynasty), the Henckel von Donnersmarck Palace (now the Radisson SAS hotel), the Würtemberg Palace (now the Imperial Hotel) and the palace of Archduke Ludwig Victor (nicknamed "Luziwuzi", a homosexual who was always embroiled in one scandal or another).

The Belvedere Palace. Our next stop is the baroque Belvedere Palace (summer residence of Prince Eugene). Here we will admire the amazing baroque garden which offers a splendid view of the city. We will show you the palace (which is an art museum now) from the outside.
We will also tell you interesting stories about the eccentric and homosexual prince. Then we proceed to the Vienna State Opera, the famous Hotel Sacher, the Albertina and to the Liechtenstein Palace – the next highlight of our excursion.

The Liechtenstein Palace. This palace was built after the model of Italian palaces. It was formerly in the suburbs of Vienna and therefore used only as a summer residence. The palace is still owned by the prince of Liechtenstein and has been extensively renovated. This magnificent building can be visited from the inside. You have the rare opportunity to have a look at baroque interior design.

The Imperial Palace Hofburg.Our last stop is the Imperial Palace (administrative centre of the Habsburg monarchy for more than 600 years). First of all we will give you an overview of the area and then we show you the private apartments of the legendary imperial couple Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (Sissi). You will see how monarchs worked (the Audience Waiting Room, the Conference Room, the study), how they relaxed (various salons, living room), how they kept themselves in shape (bathroom, exercise room and dressing room), how they slept (the separated bedrooms and the bell which the emperor had to ring if he wanted to spend a night with his wife) and how they dined in such an incredible fashion (the dining room with a table laid as it was at that time; a dinner consisted of up to 13 courses).

The Silver Collection (on request – this visit extends the length of the tour). Anyone who has grown up with today's food culture, will be stunned to see how one once ate at the imperial court. A visit to the former Court Silver and Table Room will show you a unique collection of objects necessary for the running of the imperial household. You will see: porcelain worth millions, golden cutlery, golden table centrepieces, valuable table linen, napkins which are 1m² . Apart from the pomp the imperial kitchen was also a mass operation as the court catered for up to 5,000 people every day.

Instead of the Imperial Palace Hofburg, we would also love to show you the summer palace of the Habsburgs: Schoenbrunn Palace.