In 1809, following
France's decisive victory over Austria in the
War of the Fifth Coalition, French troops occupying Vienna destroyed a major defensive bastion of the
Hofburg, the Burgbastei. Instead of rebuilding, the area in front of the Hofburg was redesigned. Court architect Ludwig Gabriel von Remy designed what would become a private garden for
Francis I, the last
Holy Roman Emperor and first
Emperor of Austria, who had a keen interest in
botany. The park was built by court gardener Franz Antoine the Elder based on Remy's plans; the two also worked on the nearby
Volksgarten. The park was completed in 1820 and was frequently visited by the royal family. Remy erected a large greenhouse in the north of the park. Since the park was separated from the Hofburg, an underground passage, the Laternengang, was constructed to connect the two. In 1863, the park was expanded south-eastwards and surrounded by a fence. The expansion of the Hofburg in the late 19th century slightly reduced the park's size. In 1901, Remy's greenhouse was torn down and replaced by the
Palmenhaus. Following the fall of the monarchy in 1918, the park was
nationalized and opened to the public. In 2021, a small section of the park was converted into paddocks for the
Lipizzaner horses of the
Spanish Riding School. File:Burggarten.Palmenhaus.Wien.JPG|The Palmenhaus from the pond File:Wien 01 Burggarten j.jpg|The extended Hofburg File:Wien 01 Burggarten p.jpg|In the park File:Wien 01 Burggarten a.jpg|Lipizzaner of the Spanish Riding School == Buildings ==