In the heart of Vienna, just 200 meters away from the State Opera, is located a true tropical oasis – the Imperial Butterfly House. The attraction is part of the Hofburg Royal Palace. It is at the boundaries of the Burggarten Palace Gardens, right by the Albertina Museum.
The Butterfly Imperial House is housed in the Palm House. This is an Art Nouveau building created at the beginning of the last century and gathers a huge collection of butterflies. It also has a greenhouse place and a cozy cafe.
The Butterfly House officially opened on May 1, 1990, and today is one of the most visited attractions in Vienna.
See more Top Attractions in Vienna
What to see?
The Flying Theater
All year long, you can enjoy the sight of about 400 alive, flying species of butterflies. Enjoy their vibrant and beautiful colors and the ease of their moves around specially arranged waterfalls and exotic plants. In the Butterfly House has been created an environment specifically for these creatures, as to provide them the closest possible habitat to their nature. There you can see species from places as far as Costa Rica, Belize, Suriname, Thailand, and the Philippines. The glass structure of the building offers maximum natural light, which is very important for both butterflies and plants.
The exotic plants
The plants in the house are carefully selected according to the needs of the butterflies. Some of them are nectar trees, providing the creatures with their natural food, while others are important for caterpillars’ development. In the house, you can see different types of plants: hibiscus, lantana, heliotrope, and plumbago. There are also areas with artificial flowers that serve as feeding stations for the creatures and are regularly sprayed with a honey solution. Some butterflies also like fruits, so you can also see some exotic fruit trees. Each species of the butterflies has its special feeding plant.
What do you need to know before you visit the Butterfly Imperial House?
- It is open daily but has different summer and winter business hours.
- You will see about 40 butterfly species in it.
- The largest butterfly is the Attacus Atlas. The female insect can reach wingspan up to 30 cm.
- None of the butterflies were taken from the wild nature and there are no endangered species in the exhibition.
Top Attractions in Vienna:
Vienna – the city
Schönbrunn Palace
Hofburg Castle
Belvedere Castle
Karlskirche Church
Saint Stephen Cathedral
History of Art Museum
Natural History Museum
Albertina Museum
Museum Quartier
Hundertwasser
State Opera
City Hall
The Prater
Danube Cruise from Vienna
Donauturm
Naschmarkt