Page 141 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2023 SPECIAL CRUISE EDTION

Empress Maria Theresia. From left: the imposing Kunsthistorisches
From here it was only a few minutes’ walk to Museum, a mural spanning a house
Hofburg, the former imperial court of the Hab- facade, many patches of green are part of
the Baumscheiben (tree discs) project
sburgs from 1273 to 1918. The oldest section is
the 13th-century Schweizerhof (Swiss Court-
yard), named after the Swiss guards who pro-
tected its precincts. It adjoins a larger
courtyard, In der Burg, with a larger-than-life
statue of Emperor Franz II in the center. Today,
the palace houses the Austrian president's of-
fices, the preserved royal apartments, and a
row of museums.
Just before 10 am, Gabriele rushed me on to
the Spanish Horse Riding School where the fa-
mous white Lipizzan stallions were led across
the Reitschulgasse to the Winter Riding School
for their morning routine. The horses were

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