Classical Times in Vienna

Vienna lies in the Danube valley, with the rolling hills of the Vienna Woods rising beyond its suburbs and the famous Danube River flowing through its center. There is spectacular scenery and traces of Vienna having been the capital of a great empire around every corner, in the buildings, the ancient castles, and the Gothic churches.

Although it has the reputation of being a city for lovers of old things, it is quite a vivacious city with everything on offer from classical music and operas, incredible museums, green parks, clubs and coffee houses.

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The Danube River divides the city into two unequal halves, with the old city center and most tourist sights south of the river. The Danube Canal branches off from the main river and winds south, forming one of the borders of the historic center, known as the Innere Stadt.

The Hofburg, known as the imperial palace, for seven centuries was the Habsburgs family home until 1918. Originally a medieval castle, of which only the chapel has survived to this day, the residence of the court was expanded and made more lavish as the power of the Habsburgs grew and the territory of their dominions increased. Today, the Imperial Palace houses the offices of the Austrian president, an international convention center, the chapel where the Vienna Boys' Choir sings mass on Sundays and religious holidays, the hall in which the Lipizzan stallions of the Spanish Riding School perform, various official and private apartments and several museums and state rooms which are open to the public.

The New Palace is the most recent addition housing the Ethnological Museum, branches of the Museum of Fine Arts: the Ephesus Museum displaying art from classical antiquity in Asia Minor, the Collection of Arms which ranks as the second-largest in the world and the Collection of Historical Musical Instruments.

The Josefsplatz is located behind the palace’s stable block. This is one of the city’s most elegant squares, lined with 17th century buildings including the National Library, built in 1723 and the Albertina Palace, which was originally the site of ancient ramparts. The palace was built in 1871 for the Archduke Albert and houses the Museum of Cinema and the National Library musical collection.

The city center is the site of the Stephansdom, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Austria’s finest example of a Gothic church with s pointed steeple and multi-coloured roof. It houses a wealth of art treasures, some of which can only be seen during a guided tour, and for a breathtaking view climb the 343 steps to the tower-keeper's room.

The area comprising Seitenstettstr, from Rabensteig and Fleischmarkt, forms the Jewish district of the city. This area, known as Bermudadreick, houses taverns, restaurants and bookshops. Museum Judenplatz Vienna, which is run by the Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna, is considered a singular place of remembrance; it combines three things: Rachel Whiteread's Memorial, the excavations of a medieval synagogue and a museum about medieval Jewry.

The Karntnerstrasse, flanked by historic hotels, elegant shops and art galleries is the nerve point of the city. The square is dominated by the majestic Saint Charles Borromeo Church, the finest expression of Viennese Baroque architecture.

The old suburbs of the city are located between the two ring roads, Ringstrasse and the Gurtel, and are the visitor’s first indication of Imperial Vienna. It is a gorgeous wide, tree-lined road that runs for 6 km forming a ring around the city center. Built on the orders of the Emperor Francesco Giuseppe it encloses private mansions, spacious squares and parks, elegant cafés, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Vienna State Opera, the Imperial Palace, the Museums of Fine Arts and Natural History, Parliament, the Burgtheater, the University and the Stock Exchange.

The main road running to the south west of the city is the Mariahilferstrasse, which connects the ring to the Schonbrunn Palace. This building, the finest example of an imperial Austrian palace, was the summer residence of the Habsburgs. In 1918, the palace became the property of the new republic. Owing to its historical importance, its beautiful location, its magnificent architecture and the splendid layout of its enchanting gardens, this palace is among the very top sights in Vienna. Schonbrunn Palace has also been placed in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, confirming the importance of the palace and its gardens as a Baroque work of art.

The Prater, located in the second district, is a green corner of nature with woods and lawns that were once the imperial hunting reserve. The Vienna Prater is considered the oldest amusement park in the world. Dozens of attractions are offered from the nostalgic Ghost Train to Merry-Go-Rounds, Go-Cart lanes, gaming halls and stands with exercises in skill. In addition, there are numerous restaurants, cafés, snack bars and beer gardens to relax and unwind before the next ride. The amusement park Bohemian Prater is no less entertaining. What was once a destination for families on a Sunday afternoon, today has become a leisure center in the Vienna Favoriten district where you can look back at 150 years of history. Today, you will find not only restaurants and the event hall 'Tivoli Center' but also attractions such as a merry-go-round, a jumping tower, mini-golf and a giant ferris wheel.

The third district houses the Belvedere Castle and Gallery, originally the home of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the most brilliant military mind of his age. He commissioned Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt to design and build the garden palace Belvedere as a summer residence outside the walls of the city. The palace, one of the most exquisite Baroque structures in the world, consists of two palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere). A majority of the rooms were adapted to house the Austrian Gallery.

The Belvedere Palace Gardens were also designed for Prince Eugene of Savoy around 1700, which are some of the finest in Europe today. From March till August at the Upper Belvedere you can experience the flowering of about 4,000 Alpine plant species in the oldest Alpine Garden in the world. In the nearby Botanical Garden, you can see native and exotic plants.

Vienna is world renowned for its famous musicians and composers. Many memorials, apartments once lived in by composers and museums are open to the public throughout the city to experience the life of these talented artists. You can see the furniture and objects that were owned by the artists themselves, as well as autographs, facsimiles of scores, paintings and photos.

Vienna at night, the city that rises after the sun has set, is more than the usual clubs and bars, it offers you a unique environment to experience the birth of music and travel back into history. Numerous new bars and clubs, some with entertainment, and trendy meeting places have been established during the past few years. Whether it is in the bourgeois inner districts or the more suburban outer districts, you will never be too far away from exciting nightlife.

Be enchanted by hit musicals; enjoy music at the Musikverein and Konzerthaus concert halls. Look forward to evenings of great entertainment, hot rhythms and exciting beats, great voices, and exciting productions. Vienna’s opera houses and operetta stages offer creative entertainment. The Viennese houses that put on musicals, such as the Theatre an der Wien, Raimund Theatre, Ronacher and Volksoper, provide many unforgettable evenings. Modern dance is offered at such venues as the TanzQuartier at MuseumsQuartier, and ballet can be enjoyed in the Vienna State Opera and the Volksoper.

Maybe an Opera House is not everyone's idea of cool, but this is one of the best Opera Houses in the world, and one of the leading factors so many people travel to Vienna. The Opera House has one of the best traditions in the world, having had directors such as Mahler, Richard Strauss, von Karajan and, more recently, Claudio Abbado. You can visit it as a tourist by day, but if you want to get a ticket to see an opera or ballet you'll have to book well in advance.

Vienna’s electronic music scene has an international reputation and clubs like the Flex on the Danube Canal have even been voted among the best in the world! A current list of all the best lounges, celebrations and club nights is published each week in “Partytimer” in the “Falter” newspaper.

The Bermuda Triangle in the old city is also worthy of a mention. There you will find one bar after the other after the other; the place can get extremely busy and sometimes quite rowdy in the evenings. The district around Bäckerstrasse and Sonnenfelsgasse is known to be a bit quieter and caters for more sophisticated tastes.

Viennese coffeehouses go back a long way and are a great place to retreat and watch the Viennese life pass by you or read a book. They serve a huge variety of coffee flavours usually accompanied with a scrumptious pastry or cake slice. Vienna also has spacious café-restaurants, café-confectioners, and combinations of coffeehouse and bookshop, bar, music club, etc. Try the art nouveau Bellaria café who have been serving fine cuisine and quality wines for 125 years. They are in the vicinity of the Museums Quartier. Mozart is another well established coffee house, during the Biedermeier age it was a popular meeting place for artists, that combines culture with coffee. Situated close to the Imperial Palace.