Travel Guide to Vienna, Austria

The history of Vienna is more than three thousand years. During the reign of the Habsburgs the city became the capital, and its imperial elegance is the legacy of the dynasty. Vienna is a world-renowned center of music, thanks to numerous famous composers who lived and worked in this city - Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and Brahms. The world-renowned Vienna Choir, the Vienna Boys Choir, various musical events such as the annual Christmas concert or the ball in the Vienna Opera is also located here.

The architecture of Vienna encompasses all major styles from Gothic and Renaissance to postmodernism. Rupertkirhe (show on map ) is one of the oldest churches in Vienna in the Romanesque style. Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a symbol of Austria and Vienna, and Karlskirche (view photos ) is made in the Baroque style. Modern has also left its mark in Vienna - the Karlspatz station , Secession, Kirche am Steinhof , which is the work of Otto Wagner, belong to the best known buildings of this period.

Vienna is a grandeur and luxury city with a touch of antiquity. Vienna is a city of music and great musicians. Vienna is a city of fiacres and dancing white stallions. Vienna means amazing coffee and delicious apple strudel. In short, Vienna is ... Vienna, the city where people are recommended to live for a little, and not just walk quickly, visiting sights from a guidebook. The city is charming and beautiful as music itself, as the aroma of coffee or the clatter of horse hooves on the cobblestones, as the flavor of mulled wine and fir before Christmas...

Guests of Vienna will see an incredible number of beautiful historic buildings, such as, for example, the Cathedral of St. Stephen or fabulous Belvedere . Besides this, you will find a lot of cozy parks (map of parks ), operas, and museums (map of museums ) in Vienna. In this city you can always relax, listening to the beautiful music of Bach or Strauss. Do not forget to visit the Spanish Riding School in order to see how beautiful white horses move gracefully in time with this charming music, which Vienna is famous for.

Without a doubt, these are not all notable places of Vienna. With time, Vienna was turned into a fashionable city with a large number of leisure and entertainment facilities, which are mostly located near Ringstrasse and on the banks of the Danube River. In order to explore the city in a more relaxing way, one can hire a bicycle. In this case, do not forget to visit Prater Park . In the evening, numerous night clubs of Vienna (map of disco/clubs ) wait for their guests.

The Hofburg Imperial Palace.
This is a huge palace complex, the winter palace of the Habsburgs . As it is located in the center of Vienna, this white palace is simply impossible to miss. The complex has been expanded and rebuilt for centuries. The palace’s treasury is one of the most popular parts of the palace - the treasury exhibits the royal jewelry.

The Spanish Riding School.
Spanische Reitschule is the oldest arena in the world. The school is a part of the Hofburg Palace. It was founded during the reign of the Habsburgs. All week long, beautiful white stallions are trained by jockeys in historical costumes. Several months a year everyone has an opportunity to visit the show, which has not changed during past four centuries. As the show is very popular, tickets for it should be booked in advance. During the months when there are no performances, visitors still can buy special tickets for the rehearsals. These tickets are sold right at the entrance.

Belvedere.
Belvedere is a romantic park with numerous ponds, waterfalls, and two palaces. Do not forget to visit the Upper Belvedere, which is home to several museums. In 1955 the Grand Ballroom of the Palace was the place where the document declaring the independence of Austria was signed - after the Second World War the country was not independent for ten more years. Thus, Vienna, as well as Berlin, was divided between the allies. Strangely, this historical fact is usually little-known in the world.

The Schonbrunn Palace.
The Schonbrunn Palace is the summer palace of the Habsburgs . Without a doubt, this is one of the most beautiful places in Vienna. The palace is located just a few subway stops from the center. The site of the modern Schonbrunn Palace was once occupied by other palaces and buildings. The palace itself was rebuilt many times. Currently, the complex has 1,441 rooms of various sizes and for various purposes. There are also beautiful gardens in the territory of the palace.

St. Stephen's Cathedral.
This is the largest and the most magnificent Gothic cathedral in Austria . The first church was built on the site of the modern cathedral in 1147. Later the cathedral was expanded. Its length is 107 meters, and its width is 34 meters. The height of the southern Steffl Gates is 136 meters. If you go up the 343 steps, you will reach the top of the tower that provides superb panoramic views of the city.

Vienna will surely surprise you with its culinary delights. Along with the famous steak-restaurant Filgmueller, Vienna is home to numerous trendy cafes (map of cafe ) and chic restaurants (map of restaurants ) with delicacies from all over the world.

Read more about Vienna:
Restaurants and cuisine in Vienna
Local traditions and lifestyle
'Must visit' places in Vienna
Nightlife and attractions in Vienna
Preparing for Vienna: Advices
Vienna photogallery