It's the entrance to the Hofburg Palace, and it was built in 1552/1553. How many gates are closing in on 500 years of age? And it still looks mighty good at this stage.
This is known in non-English circles as the Schweizertor. The Swiss provided the guards in the 18th century, which was unusual enough to help the gate get its name. On top is the crest of Emperor Ferdinand I. His name is part of the crest, while the construction dates are there too.
I've read that this was the first of two emperors named Ferdinand in Austria's history. He ran the Holy Roman Empire at the time of construction. The other was the head of the Austrian Empire, and he was in charge around 1800. That must have confused Austrian school kids for generations.
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