Vienna

Vienna

Vienna was the capital of one of the largest empires in European history for six centuries. The Habsburgs ruled from here from 1273 to 1918, and they spent freely. What they left behind is a city of a scale and grandeur that remains astonishing even today, long after the empire that created it has disappeared.

Vienna sits in the north-eastern corner of Austria where the Alps flatten out into the Pannonian Plain, on the banks of the Danube. At the height of Habsburg power it was the administrative capital of an empire stretching from Spain to Hungary, and it attracted the finest artists, architects, composers and intellectuals in Europe. The result is a concentration of cultural achievement that is without parallel for a city of its size.

The city's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is Schonbrunn Palace and its gardens. The Ringstrasse, the grand boulevard constructed under Emperor Franz Joseph I between 1857 and 1865, contains some of the finest neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque public buildings in Europe. Vienna is also the city of Freud, Klimt, Schiele, Mahler, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and the Strauss family, all of whom worked here during periods that shaped modern Western culture.

The Vienna State Opera, opened in 1869 with Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The City

St Stephen's Cathedral

Stephansdom, St Stephen's Cathedral, stands at the geographical and spiritual centre of Vienna. Its south tower, completed in 1433, rises to 136 metres and was the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion. The cathedral's steeply pitched roof, covered in 230,000 coloured glazed tiles forming a geometric pattern including the Habsburg double-headed eagle, is one of the most recognisable images in Austria. The interior spans seven centuries of construction and contains an extraordinary collection of Gothic sculpture, Baroque altarpieces and Habsburg tomb monuments. Climbing the south tower gives the best view of the city centre and the surrounding hills.

The Ringstrasse

The Ringstrasse is one of the great urban planning achievements of the 19th century. Ordered by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1857 and completed over the following decades, it replaced the old city walls with a four-kilometre boulevard lined with monumental public buildings. Walking its full length takes in the Vienna State Opera, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Naturhistorisches Museum, the Parliament building, the neo-Gothic Rathaus (city hall), the Burgtheater, and the Hofburg Palace complex. Each building was designed by a leading architect of the period in a historic style chosen to reflect its function. The effect is simultaneously theatrical and overwhelming.

The Hofburg

The Hofburg was the principal imperial residence of the Habsburgs from the 13th century until 1918, and it expanded over those six centuries into a vast complex of 18 wings, 19 courtyards and 2,600 rooms. It now houses the offices of the Austrian President, the Spanish Riding School, the Vienna Boys' Choir, the Austrian National Library, and several major museums including the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum dedicated to Empress Elisabeth, and the Imperial Silver Collection. The Spanish Riding School, founded in 1572, stages performances of classical dressage that are among the most refined equestrian displays in the world.

Schonbrunn Palace

Schonbrunn Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the outskirts of the city centre, was the main summer residence of the Habsburg imperial family. The current palace, built between 1696 and 1713 and expanded under Maria Theresa in the 1740s and 1750s, contains 1,441 rooms, of which 40 are open to visitors. The formal gardens behind the palace, laid out in the French style with fountains, parterres and allees of clipped hornbeam, extend up the hill behind to the Gloriette, a triumphal arch offering panoramic views over Vienna. The gardens are among the finest Baroque gardens in Central Europe and are free to visit year-round.

The Belvedere

The Belvedere is a Baroque palace complex built as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the Habsburg general who defeated the Ottomans at the Battle of Zenta in 1697 and is widely considered the greatest military commander of his era. The Upper Belvedere, completed in 1723, now houses the Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere, which contains the largest collection of Gustav Klimt works in the world. The Kiss, Klimt's most celebrated painting, hangs here. The Lower Belvedere and its Orangery house collections of Baroque and medieval Austrian art. The formal gardens between the two palaces, descending through a series of terraces, are among the finest Baroque garden compositions in Austria.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Art History Museum, facing the Naturhistorisches Museum across Maria-Theresien-Platz on the Ringstrasse, was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1891 to house the Habsburg imperial art collections. It contains one of the finest collections of Old Master paintings in the world, with particular strength in Flemish and Dutch painting, including the largest collection of Bruegel works anywhere. The Egyptian and Near Eastern collection, the Greek and Roman antiquities, the coin cabinet and the decorative arts collections are all of international significance. The building itself, designed by Karl von Hasenauer and Gottfried Semper, is one of the grandest museum buildings in Europe.

Viennese Coffee Houses

The Viennese coffee house is a distinct cultural institution, recognised by UNESCO as part of Austria's intangible cultural heritage, and it is unlike any coffee shop found elsewhere. The tradition dates from the late 17th century and has produced a particular form of urban life in which a customer may occupy a table for hours with a single coffee, read the newspapers provided on wooden holders, work, meet friends or simply watch the room. The coffee itself is served with a glass of water, replaced without being asked. Cafe Central, in the Palais Ferstel near the Hofburg, is one of the grandest examples: Trotsky, Freud, Stalin and the Austrian writer Karl Kraus were all regulars. Cafe Schwarzenberg on the Ringstrasse, and Cafe Hawelka in the first district, are among the other essential addresses.

The Prater and the Riesenrad

The Prater is a large public park on the eastern side of the city, partly forested and partly given over to the Wurstelprater amusement complex. The Riesenrad, Vienna's giant Ferris wheel, stands at the entrance to the amusement park and has been one of the defining features of the city's skyline since it opened on 3 July 1897, built by the British engineer Walter Basset to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I's accession. Originally 65 metres tall with 30 gondolas, it was severely damaged in 1945 and rebuilt in 1947 with 15 gondolas. It features in Orson Welles' film The Third Man, set in post-war Vienna, and in the James Bond film The Living Daylights. A ride on the Riesenrad takes approximately 20 minutes and gives exceptional views of the city.

Music in Vienna

Vienna's connection to classical music is deeper and more sustained than any other city in the world. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler, the Strauss family and Schoenberg all spent formative years here. The Vienna State Opera, opened in 1869 with Mozart's Don Giovanni, is one of the leading opera houses in the world and performs nearly 300 nights a year. The Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, is widely considered the finest concert hall for acoustics in Europe. The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, broadcast internationally from the Musikverein's Golden Hall, has been an annual tradition since 1939. Tickets for the State Opera are available at a range of prices, and standing room is sold on the night at extremely accessible rates.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Journey to Vienna

The Paris to Vienna route on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express departs Paris Gare d'Austerlitz in the afternoon, travels overnight through France and Germany, and arrives at Vienna Westbahnhof around midday the following day. Vienna Westbahnhof is a modern station on the western edge of the city centre, from which the main sights are easily reached by U-Bahn or taxi. Passengers continuing to Budapest board the train again from Vienna in the early afternoon.

Vienna Practicalities

• Vienna Westbahnhof is the VSOE arrival station, on the western edge of the city centre and served by the U3 and U6 U-Bahn lines
• Vienna International Airport is approximately 18km south-east of the city centre, linked by the City Airport Train (CAT) in 16 minutes or the S-Bahn in 25 minutes
• UK citizens do not currently require a visa for Austria. Always check the current position at gov.uk before travel
• The currency is the euro
• Vienna has one of the finest public transport systems in Europe: five U-Bahn lines, an extensive tram network and night buses. A single 24-hour or 72-hour pass covers all modes
• The historic first district, containing most of the main sights, is compact and walkable. The Ringstrasse is approximately four kilometres in circumference
• The Vienna Card combines unlimited public transport with discounts at many museums and attractions and is good value for a stay of two or three days
• Vienna is an excellent city year-round. Christmas markets from late November make it particularly appealing in winter. Summer can be warm and the Prater gardens are at their best in spring