T his is another one of Vienna's big attractions. And by big, we're talking scale. It encompasses six museums, a chapel, the president of Austria's offices, the national library, the famed Winter Riding School, a greenhouse, and a park. It will take two days to thoroughly see the place. The Hofburg Complex was built as the imperial home of the Habsburgs, and they lived there until 1918. The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Art) has exhibits of ancient art, a collection of armor, even a collection of antique musical instruments. The Winter Riding School is where the Lipizzaner stallions are trained in the Spanish Riding School. It was designed by Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, and built from 1729 to 1735. Inside two galleries surround the training ground, which is illuminated by two enormous chandeliers. But photography inside is not permitted. Most other buildings allow photography as long as the flash is turned off. There is also a butterfly aviary created out of greenhouses built from 1901-1907.
