1 Best Sight in Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg, Austria

One of Innsbruck's most historic attractions is the Hofburg, or Imperial Palace, which Maximilian I and Archduke Sigmund the Rich commissioned to be built in late-Gothic style in the 15th century. Center stage is the Giant's Hall—designated a marvel of the 18th century as soon as it was topped off with its magnificent trompe-l'oeil ceiling painted by Franz Anton Maulpertsch in 1775. The Rococo decoration and the portraits of Hapsburg ancestors in the ornate, white-and-gold great reception hall were added in the 18th century by the Empress Maria Theresa. Look for the portrait of "Primal" (Primrose)—to use the childhood nickname of the empress's daughter, Marie Antoinette. Skip the 3D show at the end.