The chancellery, Swiss court, Amalienburg and Leopoldine Wing form the Inner Castle Court (innerer Burghof).

At the center of the courtyard - originally a parade ground - is a large monument dedicated to Emperor Francis I of Austria a.k.a. Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Behind the monument - The Amalienburg (Amalia Residence), erected as a free-standing building opposite the Schweizertrakt during the 16th century. Construction began in 1575 and was com­pleted by Pietro Ferrabosco in 1611. This Renaissance building, which Maximilian II built for his son Rudolf II, got its name in the first half of the 18th century when Empress Amalia, the widow of Joseph I, resided here. The last occupant of this part of the Hofburg was Empress Elisabeth, whose apartments are today open to the public.

The façade of the Amalienburg is crowned by an octagonal tower with an early-Baroquc helm roof. The lunar clock is said to have been designed by Tycho de Brahe, the court astronomer of Rudolf II.