About this place
Michaelerplatz is the dramatic, bustling forecourt to the Imperial Palace and a true architectural collision. At its center, an open-air excavation displays the ancient brick outlines of Roman foundations. On one side stands the Looshaus from 1912, a plain modern façade that famously disgusted Emperor Franz Joseph. Opposite it, the grand curved wing of the Hofburg, known as the Michaelertrakt, dominates the scene with its turquoise copper dome and dramatic sculptures of Hercules. This circular plaza compresses 2,000 years of history into one single, breathtaking 360-degree view.
Key facts
- 2000 years — The approximate age of the Roman ruins sitting in the center of the square
- 4 statues — Massive sculptures of Hercules battling monsters guard the palace entrances
- 1912 year — The controversial, minimalist Looshaus was completed, defying imperial style
📍 Michaelerplatz 2, 1010, Wien