The Burggarten: The Palace Garden
Updated September 18, 2026
The Burggarten is a public park in Vienna's first district, on the palace's southern side, and it exists because of Napoleon: it was built for the imperial family after the destruction of the city fortifications. It costs nothing, it is two minutes from the Albertina, and it holds the two things most visitors photograph in this corner of the Hofburg — the Mozart monument and the glasshouse.
What is in it
The Mozart monument stands near the Ring side, with a treble clef planted in flowers in front of it, which is either charming or a great deal, depending on your tolerance for civic whimsy. At the far end is the Palmenhaus, an art nouveau glasshouse that now holds a brasserie, and beside it the Schmetterlinghaus, the tropical butterfly house, which charges its own admission.
Why it is here at all
The walls came down after Napoleon, and what replaced them around the old city was the Ring and its gardens. The Burggarten was the imperial family's share of that space, private until it was not. The Volksgarten across the complex was laid out in the same period on the same principle, and opened to the public earlier.
How to use it
As the pause between museums. The palace route ends in a shop; ten minutes in the Burggarten resets the day before the Albertina, which is a two-minute walk away and open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. The park is free; the butterfly house and the brasserie are not.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Burggarten free?
Yes, it is a public park. The butterfly house inside it charges separately.
What is the Burggarten?
The palace garden on the Hofburg's southern side, built for the imperial family after Napoleon destroyed Vienna's fortifications.
What is the Palmenhaus?
The art nouveau glasshouse at the end of the garden, now a brasserie, with the tropical butterfly house next door.
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