Vienna, Austria is one of Europe’s splendors that capture the hearts of its visitors. This city capital is all the more alluring with the “Blue” Danube running through it. The traditional side of this lovely city is juts but one of its many faces. UNESCO declared Vienna’s downtown area as a world heritage site. There is so much to experience in this young and dynamic city so let this Vienna travel guide help you make the most of your visit in Vienna.
Baroque-inspired structures with a pinch of art nouveau are the prominent sights in Vienna. One that strikes the most is the main boulevard Ringstrasse which is a revivalist architecture that surrounds Vienna’s old town or Innere Stadt. Here you’ll see the city’s Opera House and the Museum of Natural History. Architectural masterpieces of Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos are all over the city.
The people of Vienna has a certain fascination for death as a theme that the Central Cemetery or the Zentralfriedhof is popular place to stroll along. Schrammelmusik or songs with lyrics about death is also popular among Viennese. Due to this regard for death, funeral insurance societies or Sterbevereine provide Viennese with opportunity to save up for a nice funeral while they are alive. The service is not just about sparing the loved-ones left behind of the trouble to spend but also a necessity to give an adequate burial. Morbid as it may seem but there is a museum in Vienna devoted to coffins and mortuary science and this is called Bestattungsmuseum.
Vienna is known for its love for coffee. You commonly encounter people inviting friends or colleagues for a coffee-drink. Although Starbucks and Italian-style espresso bars are visible in the city, Kaffeehauskultur is still preferred when craving for a sip of coffee.
Visitors in the city find the layout convenient to explore. At the heart of the city is Vienna’s old town which is considered the city’s First district. Stephansdom and Stephansplatz are found in this part of Vienna.
The Ringstraße (Ring Road) is a grand boulevard constructed along the old city walls torn down at the end of the 19th century. Found along this ring road are the Rathaus (City Hall), the Austrian Parliament, the Hofburg Palace, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum), and the State Opera House.
Circling the Ringstraße is the Gürtel (’belt’) Road where Vienna’s Districts 2-9 are found. Within these districts is the Prater (amusement) park as well as Second District’s hip quarters near Schwedenplatz, and the Jewish quarter. The district also holds the Südbahnhof (southern Rail Station), and the major railway terminal in Austria—the Westbahnhof (Western Railstation). Mariahilfer Straße is Vienna’s major shopping street that you can take eastwards toward the inner city, or to the Hundertwasserhaus and Hundertwasser Kunsthaus in District 3, and to the Belvedere Palace.
Just outside the “belt” road are the Danube Tower (Donauturm) and most visited Schönbrunn Palace. The palace has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1996.
There is so much to see and do in this Austrian capital so just go through this Vienna travel guide for the essential information you will need when you intend to travel in this side of the world.