Just north of the Hofburg, you can find the Maria Theresien Platz, a square that was created in the 19th century. In the middle of the square there is a huge monument of the Empreress, in whose memory it was named Maria Theresien Platz.
After doing a bit of research, as well as after a visit to Schönbrunn, I found out that Maria Theresa was an Austrian archduchess, and Holy Roman Empress of the Habsburg Dynasty. She reigned from 1740 to 1780 and was also mother to Marie Antoinette, of which you may have heard as being the last Queen of France before the French Revolution.
Maria-Theresien-Platz is bordered by two majestic museum buildings, which mirror each other: Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) and Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History), which I already told you about in a previous article. They are both constructed in neo-Renaissance design with large domes, very pleasing to the eye and attractive for tourists.
The area in between the two museums is inviting and quite exquisite, consisting of formal gardens, statues, fountains and nature, at the center of which stands the colossal monument. The day I visited it for the first time, even though it was pretty cold and rain clouds were threatening, it was such a serene atmosphere, children laughing, families spending time together, street artisans playing with huge bubbles. Quite lovely, don’t you think?