The Spanish Riding School
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.
Website: Spanish Riding School
The Albertina Art Gallery
The Albertina in Vienna is home to one of the world’s finest
collection of drawings. Albert, Duke of Saxe-Teschen, began the
collection and by 1822 the collection numbered some 14,000 drawings
and 200,000 prints dating from the 15th to the early 19th centuries.
Today there are over 60,000 works on show including a remarkable
collection of drawings, etchings and watercolours by artists such as
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael, Manet, Cezanne and
Schiele.
Website: Albertina Art Gallery
The Austrian National Library
The Austrian National library is the oldest in the world. Joseph
Fischer of Erlach completed the current building in 1726. 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.
Website: Austrian National Library
The Belvedere Palaces
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 which offer an excellent and comprehensive
survey of Austrian art from the middle ages to the present day.
Website: Belvedere Palaces
The Hofburg Imperial Palace
Built in 1279, 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 centre, 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 which are open to the public.
Website: Hofburg Imperial Palace
The Sigmund Freud MuseumThe
Sigmund Freud museum is located in the building where Freud worked and lived
with his family for almost 50 years. His daughter, Anna Freud, also worked
here 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.
Website: Sigmund Freud Museum
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, it was designed by
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and completed in 1711. Forty of the 1440
rooms are open to the public. 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.
Website: Schonbrunn Castle
St. Stephens Cathedral
Built in the 12th century, St. Stephens Cathedral was originally a Romanesque
sanctuary. It was virtually destroyed by fire in 1258, damaged extensively
during the Turkish siege of 1683 and during the Russian bombardments of 1945.
The Cathedral was eventually restored and reopened in 1948 and today it is one
of the greatest Gothic structures in Europe. The interior is rich in wood
carvings, 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 that contain
the entrails of 56 members of the Habsburg family. If you’re feeling
energetic, climb the 343 steps to the south tower for a great view of the
Vienna Woods. Alternatively, take the lift to the north tower to get a beautiful
vista of the city and the river Danube.
Website: St. Stephens Cathedral
The Prater Park (Praterverband)
Since 1766, when Emperor Joseph II opened it to the public, this extensive
stretch of parkland and woodland has been the favorite place of relaxation
and enjoyment for the Viennese. 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.
Website: The Prater Park
The Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum)
The Vienna Natural History Museum is based in a handsome neo-Renaissance building
near the Museum of Fine Arts. 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.
Website: Natural History Museum
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