Imperial Carriage Museum

Part of the complex of Kunsthistorischen museums at the Hofburg Palace, the Imperial Carriage Museum opened four years after the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was conceived as a home for part of the redundant fleet of 600 vehicles no longer required by the Imperial Family and opened in 1922 in the former Imperial Riding School, presenting the very finest carriages used by the Viennese court, from sedan chairs to ceremonial state coaches. Among the 170 vehicles displayed, highlights include the elaborate black-and-gold embossed coronation landau from 1825 and an ornate, late 19th-century hearse, subtly decorated with painted and carved black flowers. 
However, the stars of the show, indicative by their sheer opulence of the wealth and power of the Habsburg dynasty, are the two gold carriages: the golden carousel made in 1742 for Empress Maria Theresia, and the Imperial Carriage, built for Emperor Joseph II in 1764. It is dripping in gilt and covered in ornate paintings and was so heavy that it could only be pulled by a team of eight horses, and then only at walking pace. Along with the vehicles comes a selection of Imperial saddlery, courtly robes and servants’ livery.

Practical Info

Hofburg Palace. Open daily May-Oct 9am-6pm, Nov-Apr 10am-4pm. Admission adults €8, seniors €6, free under 19. Metro U4 to Hietzing.