Neue Hofburg

The most recent addition to the Hofburg complex is the Neue Hofburg, or New Château. Construction was started in 1881 and continued through 1913. The palace was the residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the nephew and heir apparent of Franz Joseph, whose assassination at Sarajevo by Serbian nationalists set off the chain of events that led to World War I.

The arms and armor collection, second only to that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is in the Hofjagd und Rüstkammer, on the second floor of the Neue Hofburg. On display are crossbows, swords, helmets, pistols, and other armor, mostly the property of Habsburg emperors and princes. Some of the items, such as scimitars, were captured from the Turks as they fled their unsuccessful siege of Vienna. Of bizarre interest is the armor worn by the young (and small) Habsburg princes.

The Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente (tel. 01/52524, ext. 471) is devoted to old musical instruments, mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries, but some from the 16th century. Some of these instruments, especially among the pianos and harpsichords, were played by Brahms, Schubert, Mahler, Beethoven, and Austrian emperors who fancied themselves as having an ear for music.

In the Ephesos-Museum (Museum of Ephesian Sculpture), with an entrance behind the Prince Eugene monument, you'll see high-quality finds from Ephesus in Turkey and the Greek island of Samothrace. Here the prize exhibit is the Parthian monument, the most important relief frieze from Roman times ever found in Asia Minor. It was erected to celebrate Rome's victory in the Parthian wars (A.D. 161-65).

Visit the Museum für Völkerkunde (Museum of Ethnology) for no other reason than to see the only original Aztec feather headdress in the world. Also on display are Benin bronzes, Cook's collections of Polynesian art, and Indonesian, African, Eskimo, and pre-Columbian exhibits.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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