European Vacation - Vienna, Austria

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is a thoroughly modern city where the past and future of Europe converge. From its colorful history, Vienna has adopted the best of the new and still preserves its culture and history. Vienna Austria The waltz and Mozart are still very much alive in this city where film, music, the opera and museums draw hip and sophisticated crowds. The Viennese elevated the coffee house to a cultural institution in Europe and still sets the standard. Friends spend hours in the coffee houses, discussing ideas and enjoying pastries first served at the imperial court.

Vienna plays host to several international conferences; in the mid-90s it ranked as the second most popular conference venue after Paris. With its magnificent buildings, museums and art galleries, which house unique treasures from all the major eras of Western culture and testify to its great past, the Danube metropolis is also one of Europe's leading tourist centers. Vienna’s universities, art collections and varied theater and concert programs serve to underline the city's continuing contribution to European cultural life. The Vienna Festival and the Viennale International Film Festival are international attractions.

Top Vienna attractions include:

St. Stephen's Cathedral is situated in the city center, and for centuries it has been the heart of Vienna. It is one of the greatest Gothic structures in Europe. The interior is rich in woodcarvings, altars, sculptures and paintings and its proud steeple rises over 450 feet above Vienna. Check out the ornately carved wooden Wiener Neustadt altarpiece dating from 1447 and make sure to visit the catacombs.

If you’re feeling energetic, climb the 343 steps to the south tower for a great outlook of the Vienna Woods. Alternatively, take the lift to the north tower to get a beautiful view of the city and the river Danube.
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna has been cultivating the art of equitation in its purest form for more than 400 years. It trains both horses and riders according to centuries-old methods. The Lipizzans and dressage have become synonymous with the school and you can see them both at any of the shows or special events held here.
The Albertina Art Gallery is home to one of the world’s finest collection of drawings. Today there are over 60,000 works on show including a remarkable collection of drawings, etchings and watercolors by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael, Manet, Cezanne and Schiele.
The Austrian National Library is the oldest in the world. The palatial room with its mesmerizing ceiling paintings by Daniel Gran is regarded as one of the most beautiful library rooms in the world. Currently there are approximately six million items stored in the library including collections of papyri, manuscripts, ancient and rare books, maps, globes, music, portraits, graphics, photographs, autographs and posters.
The Belvedere Palaces were built for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Palaces’ architecture and interior design are in the Rococo style. They now house two museums that offer an excellent and comprehensive survey of Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The Hofburg Imperial Palace bears testament to the wealth and power of the Hapsburgs. It was home to Austria’s ruling family until 1918. Today, the Imperial Palace houses the offices of the Austrian president, an international convention center, the chapel where the Vienna Boys' Choir perform, the hall where the Spanish Riding School Lipizzan stallions perform as well as various official and private apartments and several museums and state rooms.
The Sigmund Freud Museum is located in the building where Freud worked and lived with his family for almost 50 years. Anna Freud, his daughter, also worked at this location as a children's psychoanalyst. The museum has been open since 1971 and its main exhibits include personal possessions, the original furniture of the waiting room, part of Freud’s antiques collection, the largest psycho-analysis library in Europe and an audio-visual display showing some of the Freud family's private moments.
Schloss Schönbrunn Palace. The enormous and elegant Schönbrunn Palace is one of Vienna's top attractions. Originally the 1,440-room summer palace of the Habsburgs. The interior is designed in the classic Rococo style of the 18th century with lots of red, white and gold. There are beautiful formal gardens surrounding the palace.
The Prater Park (Praterverband). This extensive stretch of parkland and woodland has been the favorite place of relaxation and enjoyment for the Viennese since 1766. The Prater is basically a giant, open fairground with its most famous landmark being the giant Ferris wheel known as The Ring or Riesenrad. Built in 1897, this 220-foot giant was originally designed to be a temporary exhibit, and like the Eiffel Tower, it is still attracting visitors today. The Lilliputian railroad is also located in the park, a 2.6-mile narrow-gauge line that operates in summer using vintage steam locomotives.
The Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum) is based in a handsome neo-Renaissance building. This museum has important collections of early Stone Age exhibits. The most famous display at the museum is a Stone-Age body called "Venus of Willendorf," whose unearthing in 1906 confirms Vienna’s ancient origins.