Vienna

Vienna
Vienna's inner city still is a living tribute to Habsburg times. This dynasty ruled most of Central Europe between 1273 and 1918. Its emperor Frederick III transformed Vienna from a medieval market town into an imperial residence. This attracted other nobility and a lot of artists.

Two of the city's most prominent buildings, the Hofburg and the Stephansdom, even date from the Habsburg beginnings early 13th century. The Hofburg was its center of power - an evergrowing palace with over 2500 rooms. The giant Stephansdom features an 137 m. high church tower, and is adorned with coloured tiles. Inside, the stone prayer chair (dating 1514) draws the attention. It was made by Anton Pilgram, who portrayed himself on it.

The former canal Graben now is a luxurious shopping street. Here you can find the exuberant baroque Plague statue (1679). In this area there are also many baroque and Jugendstil.

Along the Ring, fine examples of 19th century architecture can be seen. Examples are the Rathaus and the Burgtheater.

Plague Column . Dynastic Burial Places . Sieges . Art Nouveau . Memory of the World . Located in a Capital City . Danube . Cathedrals . Theatres . Life of Mozart . Libraries . Jewish religion and culture . Frescoes / murals by famous painters . Location for a classic movie . Neoclassical architecture . Gothic Revival .



Visit February 2004

It's a joy to explore Vienna's center on foot. You don't have to worry too much about traffic, and this slow pace enables stopping every 5 minutes or so - to stare in awe at the buildings. Almost every one of them has special ornaments: iron balconies, circular towers, frescoes, statues, marble pillars.

The City Hall ("Rathaus") is a relatively recent addition to Vienna's splendour (19th century). This huge building at the Ring is in neo-gothic style, and this way blends in very easy with its surroundings. Another highlight for me was the "Am Hof"-square - this is where the medieval predecessors to the Habsburg family had their main seat. Nowadays the fire brigade inhabits one of the magnificent buildings here.

Vienna was a pleasant surprise. Having visited Prague and several German cities, Vienna does stand out because of its overall character: its cleanliness, the condition of its buildings and the general chique atmosphere.

More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery

Reviews

Andrea (Serbia):
I was in Vienna few times, and I always like to come back to this city. I always thought that once you visit some city, the next time you will be bored there. But in Vienna I never felt bored and there was always something new to discover. I could spend hours and days in Schonbrunn or eating some delicious cakes!
Date posted: May 2008
Wayne McEvoy (Australia):
Vienna, like Prague and Budapest, is a profound experience. Many commentators will describe the beauty of its baroque architecture, and endless other qualities. While these descriptions are often very accurate, one of its stand-out qualities is its people. I have been to Vienna several times and will be returning very soon because of the Viennese culture. My experience has been that the Viennese are, while relatively wealthy, particularly friendly. The Viennese are both gentile and sophisticated. I can only urge anyone who is travelling to Europe for the first time to start your European experience in Vienna.
It would not be possible to properly explore Vienna under 4 nights or 5 days. Must see in Vienna; walk and walk the entire 1st District. This includes Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Also The Abertina, Belvedere and Schonbrunn palaces, and definitely a performance at Motzarthaus.
Best time to go to Vienna. Anytime, but I love Vienna in the snow, but Spring is breathless, particularly Belvedere and Schonbrunn.
Last, please learn some basic German, even it’s to say please or thankyou!
 
Nina (Austria):
Vienna is "my city" since I was born here and lived here all my life. Sometimes I feel like a tourist myself when I walk through the inner city and see all the tourists from far-away places admiring the architecture, the Sachertorte or the "Wiener Kueche" (Viennese cuisine), which is basically a mixture of Hungarian-Czech-Austrian cuisine (Gulyas for example is Hungarian). I love my city and I think it is a really great place to live.
Date posted: April 2006
Ben Pastore (USA):
Vienna's center speaks volumes of the granduer of its imperial past.
Without having any particular destination in mind, I simply enjoyed drinking in the atmosphere of this charming capital.

Date posted: November 2005
Graeme Ramshaw (UK/US):
Vienna stands tall on a short list of cities that can lay claim to significantly influencing Western culture over the past centuries. It is a musical capital, fostering the emergence of the "Classical" style as expressed by Haydn and Mozart and nurturing the early Modern style as envisioned by Mahler and Schoenberg. Moreover, it is an intellectual capital, where Freud revolutionize the field of psychology. Still others in the fields of art, architecture, and literature have been inspired by its ambience and spirit. For those making the tourist rounds, the Innere Stadt holds many sights, including Stephansdom and the Hofburg, while the Ringstrasse, a wide boulevard following the foundations of the old city defenses, boasts a proud array of monumental buildings, worthy of any empire. Vienna's appeal lies mainly in its past, but it's a past that everyone should encounter and enjoy.
 
Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
I´m probably a little biased on this site, since I have been there so many (innumerable, practically) times. The World Heritage area is just the Inner City (the First District), plus a few areas besides (like the Belvedere Palace area), but it really captures the essence of Vienna and gives a great overview of its history, from the earliest beginnings as a Celtic and Roman settlement through the (frankly less remarkable medieval and Renaissance periods) to the time of Vienna´s greatest glory, the Baroque, when it was the capital of a huge empire, and on to the 19th century, when the Ring Street with the Parliament Building, City Hall, the University, the Opera, and the two great museums was built. So wandering around the Inner City takes you through all epochs in a short time, and there´s a lot to see, but the major, must-see attractions are St.Stephen´s Cathedral and the Hofburg, the maze-like Imperial Palace Complex. Most impressive is the Treasury, which contains priceless works of art from many periods. Sure, the city can get very crowded, but it´s easy to get off the tourist trail - just don´t take a map and let yourself get lost in the small streets and alleys. Sooner or later you´ll end up on the Ring. And since one of the major reasons for inscription on the WH list was Vienna´s role as a capital of music, a night at the Opera or at one of the many concerts is probably a must as well.
 
Ian Cade ():
I had recieved pretty mixed reviews about Vienna so I was not expecting much when i arrived. However I was stunned when i got to walk around, the wealth of Grand Buildings, Statues and Fountains left me pretty awe-struck. I don't know if i was lucky in the time i had there i arrived at dusk on a beautiful summer evening and walked around the Ringstrasse as it was being lit up and even caught a choir in Stephansdom, but i was massively impressed by the city and there is so much to see that i would have no problems going back for another long weekend.
 
Rajeev Aloysius (Sri Lanka):
I have visited the magnificent centre of Vienna thrice, and I plan to go back again. It is just endlessly fascinating. The city revolves around St. Stephen's Cathedral, with its enigmatic single spire. Apart from this, points of interest include the Cafe Central and other decadent coffee houses, the Stadtpark and the Strauss statue, the Danube which unfortunately was never blue but is fun to travel on by ferry, the Hofburg, Belvedere and Schonbrunn palaces, the Museumsquartier with several fine museums within walking distance of each other, the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus concert halls, the memorial houses of many classical composers, the Central Cemetary which is almost a museum, The Prater (fairground including the famous Ferris Wheel), numerous extremely ornate and beautiful churches (The Votivkirche and St. Peter's are the best of these), the UN headquarters in Vienna, The Rathaus (Town Hall), The State Opera (Staatsoper) and the Folk Opera (VolksOper), the House of Music (Haus der Musik), the Kärntner Straße and Mariahilfstraße shopping areas, the old-world Sacher and Imperial hotels ... the list is endless. Apart from these, the friendly Austrian people and the street entertainment top off one of my favourite cities. The metro (subway) is very comprehensive, and the Vienna Card for tourists is good value. Vienna, is indeed, the City of Dreams.
 
Jim Humberd (USA):
Vienna, is a most stately, magnificent, majestic city. But the most majestic? It’s certainly near the top of the list, if not at the very top.

Located along both sides of the Ring-Strasse, the many impressive things to see include the Opera, museums, castles, the Rathaus (city hall), Beethoven-Platz, the Stadtpark (City Park), several precision-planted gardens, and a guidebook’s-worth of things to see and do. Hours and days can, and should, be spent walking and looking at this most unusual boulevard.

Vienna’s tourist map lists so very many churches, palaces, synagogues, academies, libraries, theaters, embassies, towers, and Government buildings.

If you are hungry, in addition to the famous Sacher-Torte (cost up to $30) at Hotel Sacher Vienna, tried and true McDonald’s are available for a quick snack, or a restroom break.
 
Mike Barnhill (USA):
Vienna is one of the greatest cities in the world. I had the privilege to live there for six months and I can say that it was the one of the greatest times in my life. There is so much to do and see in Vienna. For the best tips on what to see, find the Mormon missionaries. They know all of the best places and many of which aren't frequented by tourists.
 


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