THE DESTINATION OF
AUSTRIA(VIENNA)
POPULAR
CITY
USA
ASIA
adsense vertical
Austria
Vienna,Vienna travel Guide
Vienna
Travel Guide
Austria Vienna : It is difficult not to be moved to hum
a Brahms lullaby or a Strauss waltz as you explore the sights of Austria's
beautiful Baroque capital, Vienna, which for centuries was the centre of the
splendid Hapsburg Empire. The city remains infused with the grand imperial
spirit in the form of magnificent palaces and grand mansions peppering the
Innerestadt. The city's cultural heritage is mainly musical, the great classical
composers like Strauss, Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn and Mozart all having
lived and performed here. Today the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the State
Opera House help keep alive the city's tradition by offering more classical
music performances a year than any other city in the world.
Vienna is a city
of music, but it is also synonymous with gourmet fare, cream cakes, superb
coffee, the angelic strains of the Vienna Boys' Choir and the proud prancing of
the Lippizaner stallions at the world-famous Spanish Riding School.
Vienna
started out as a Celtic settlement on the banks of the Danube and became one of
the Roman's most important central European bases. Its central location on the
strategic river contributed to the city becoming a mighty empire, reaching its
peak during the tumultuous reign of the dazzling Hapsburg dynasty. At the end of
the 19th century the golden age of empire began to decline as Vienna's coffee
houses filled with radical intellectuals like Freud, Klimt and Mahler. The
Second World War Nazi occupation left scars, but Vienna survived it all to
remain a captivating capital that blends Italian romanticism with a Germanic
orderliness.
Most of the city's tourist attractions are within the largely
pedestrianised inner city area which was once enclosed by the city walls. The
walls have been replaced with the Ringstrasse, a wide ring road. Further out in
the suburbs is the thrilling Prater amusement park with its massive ferris
wheel, and the opulent Schonbrunn summer palace. Visitors also should not miss a
trip to the Vienna Woods, peppered with ancient 'heuringen' (wine
taverns).
Vienna
Attractions
Austria Vienna : Hofburg
The Hofburg Palace, or
Imperial Palace, was the home of the Austrian Hapsburgs for 600 years. The first
fortifications were erected by King Ottakar Premyst in the 13th century and were
added to by every generation until it became the monumental structure it is
today. As well as housing the president's offices, the palace now encompasses 22
separate museums, the National Library, a 14th-century Augustinian church, the
famous Spanish Riding School and the Royal Chapel, where every Sunday the Vienna
Boy's Choir sing Mass (they have performed for the Royal Court since 1498). It
will be impossible to even catch a glimpse of everything on display at the
Hofburg, so visitors should be selective. The most popular of the museums is the
Kaiserappartements, which takes visitors on a tour of the Kaiser's imperial
apartments, the Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Silver
Collection.
Austria
Vienna : Spanish Riding School
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna
is the oldest and last riding school in the world where classic dressage is
still practised in its purest form. This Institute was founded in 1572 and named
for the Lipizzaner horses, which are of Spanish origin. The Imperial Court Stud
was originally situated near the village of Lipizza (hence the name of the
horses) but since the collapse of the Danube Monarchy in 1920 have been bred at
the Federal Stud in Styria. The horses perform their tricks in the Winter Riding
School, which was commissioned by Emperor Karl VI. Performances take place
between February and June, September and December but are in high demand and
booked up months in advance (details on their website). The easiest way to see
the horses is during their training sessions. Tickets are only available at the
door, and cannot be booked in advance. Situated in the stables is the Lipizzana
Museum, which displays the history of the school.
Austria
Vienna : Museum of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches Museum)
This museum
was built between 1872 and 1891 to house the vast collections then owned by the
Hapsburgs who were enthusiastic patrons and collectors of the arts. With its
magnificent renaissance architecture and superbly decorated ceiling, the museum
is a masterpiece in its own right. It is one of the richest and most important
in the world; its collections range from Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman
Antiquities to the Collections of Medieval Art and the splendid Renaissance and
Baroque Collections. It houses the works of Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, D?rer,
Raphael, Titian, Bruegel and Van Dyke, to name just a few.
Austria
Vienna : Schonbrunn Palace
The magnificent Sch?nbrunn Palace was
used as the summer residence of the Hapsburgs from the 18th century onwards. Set
amongst superb gardens this vast, symmetrical structure is everything you would
imagine an imperial palace to be. A tour of the palace offers visitors the
chance to view the superb assortment of Baroque and Rococo State Rooms and to
admire the famous ceiling frescoes of the Great Gallery and the Hall of Mirrors
where Mozart once played. The vast gardens are popular with locals and tourists
alike, and include a zoo, a maze and labyrinth, the Privy garden, and the
Gloriette with viewing terrace. Also within the grounds, the Orangery plays host
to classical concerts during the summer season.
Austria
Vienna : Giant Wheel
One of Vienna's most recognisable attractions,
the Giant Wheel is located in a large wooded park and playground known as the
Prater. It was built in 1897 by an English engineering firm and is the only one
of its era still standing (the ferris wheels in Chicago, London, Blackpool and
Paris have long since been destroyed). The wheel with its 15 gondolas takes
twenty minutes to manoeuvre around and offers magnificent panoramic views of the
city.
Austria
Vienna : Belvedere
The Belvedere consists of two splendid rococo
mansions, designed in the early 18th century, which face each other across
formal, sloping grounds which offers excellent views over the city. From the
outside it is Vienna's finest palace complex, built by Prince Eug?ne of Savoy
(1680-1735), the famous general who saved Vienna from the advance of the Ottoman
Empire. The museums in the two palaces house some of Vienna's most renowned art
galleries, offering excellent examples of Austrian art from the middle ages to
present day. Their displays include an unrivalled collection of paintings by
Klimt as well as famous works by Schiele and Kokoschka, Renoir and Monet. The
Medieval and Baroque works are presented in the Lower Palace where many rooms
have been preserved in their original state.
Austria
Vienna : Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera performs a
repertoire of near-one hundred operas, operettas and ballets every day from
September to June. The opera house was founded in the early 18th century (it was
rebuilt in 1955 after being all but destroyed in 1945) and makes for a romantic
and regal setting in which to enjoy the performances. As seating tickets are not
easily available, an alternative is to buy standing-room tickets, which are well
priced and can be purchased on the same day (but expect long queues). The State
Opera collaborates closely with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and their
famous New Year concert requires advance bookings of up to one year. The waiting
list for the subscription concerts is 13 years!
