Why go
The Imperial Treasury, the Kaiserliche Schatzkammer, holds the crown jewels and treasures of the Habsburgs and is one of the most important collections of its kind in the world. It occupies rooms in the Schweizerhof, the oldest part of the Hofburg, dating from the 13th century. Over almost a thousand years of European history, the objects here were used to crown emperors, to proclaim power and to display faith, and many are still dazzling.
It is a compact museum, easy to see in an hour, and a natural companion to the Sisi Museum and the Spanish Riding School, which are a few steps away. The imperial regalia were taken to Nuremberg during the Nazi period and returned to Vienna after the Second World War.
What to see
The highlight is the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire, made around 962 and set with gemstones, pearls and enamel plaques. It was worn at the coronations of German kings and emperors for centuries. Nearby is the crown of Emperor Rudolf II, made in Prague in 1602, which became the crown of the Austrian Empire in 1804, together with the orb and sceptre.
Other rooms hold the Burgundian treasure, brought into the Habsburg family by marriage in the 15th century, and the regalia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the chivalric order whose head was the Habsburg ruler. Look out for the Holy Lance, long believed to contain a nail from the Cross, an enormous agate bowl once thought to be the Holy Grail and a narwhal tusk prized as a unicorn horn. The ecclesiastical treasury displays reliquaries, vestments and altar pieces.
Labels and the audio guide explain the meaning of each object, so even visitors with little background in history can follow the story.
Plan your visit
The Treasury is open every day except Tuesday, from 9am to 5.30pm, with last entry half an hour before closing. It is closed from 8 to 18 February 2027, but opens on Tuesday 5 January. Since 1 April 2026 entry is by booked time slot only, so reserve online. Groups of more than ten people need a confirmed registration. Tickets cost €16 online or €18 at the door, with reduced tickets at €12 online, and everyone under 19 goes free without needing a ticket.
The Habsburg Treasures ticket, at €32, combines the Treasury with the Kunsthistorisches Museum and can be used on different days. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The rooms are dimly lit to protect the objects, and the most famous cases can be busy in the middle of the day.
The entrance is in the Schweizerhof courtyard, reached through the Swiss Gate.
Nearby
The Burgkapelle, where the Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday Mass, is in the same courtyard. The Sisi Museum, the Spanish Riding School and the National Library’s State Hall are all within a few minutes’ walk inside the Hofburg, and Heldenplatz opens out beyond the Neue Burg. Café Central and the shops of Kohlmarkt are about five minutes away.