Michaelerplatz

Michaelerplatz, in front of the Hofburg's Michaelertor, is a Baroque star-shaped square conceived around 1725 but only completed in 1893 with the Michaelertrakt wing. Glass canopies in the centre reveal Roman wall remains from the 1st to 4th centuries and foundations of the medieval Burgtheater. Across from the Hofburg stands Adolf Loos's Looshaus of 1910, whose ornament-free facade so displeased Emperor Franz Joseph that he reportedly avoided looking through the gate. Today the square is a central meeting point between Kohlmarkt, Herrengasse and the Hofburg. Fiaker carriages line the edges, cafes occupy the corners, and the Looshaus houses a bank branch with an accessible foyer.