Vienna is the capital city of Austria and a rich blend of imperial traditions, historical events, impressive architecture and music events. The cityscape is characterized by the many baroque buildings in the city. Empress Maria Theresia and Franz Joseph are mostly responsible for the monumental highlights of Vienna. Visit the palaces and parks of the Habsburg dynasty, walk in the rooms of Princess Sisi, admire the National Austrian Library that could be in the Harry Potter movies or surround yourself by old master pieces at several museums in Vienna.
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The Hofburg
The Hofburg is located in the city centre of Vienna and it’s the imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. The Habsburg dynasty started building Hofburg in the 13th century and they have expanded and renovated Hofburg many times. The Hofburg was the imperial winter residence of the Habsburgers and Schönbrunn Palace was their summer residence. Today, Hofburg is the official residence and work office of the president of Austria.
Hofburg houses various buildings such as the Amalienburg, the Albertina (museum), the gothic imperial chapel (Hofkapelle), imperial library (see paragraph below), Sisi Museum, Festival Hall Wing, the treasury (Schatzkammer), Burgtheater and the Spanish riding school.
The Hofburg palace started as a castle in the 13th century including four castle towers (turrets). The castle was surrounded by water (moat) and even had a drawbridge at the entrance. The oldest parts of this castle are found at the Swiss Court. Today, the appearance of the Swiss Court dates back to the renaissance. The Hofburg palace is a mix of several architectural styles such as gothic, baroque, renaissance and neoclassicism.
National Library of Austria
The National Library of Austria is without a doubt one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. This baroque library is the largest one in Europe. The main hall is named the State Hall and is about 80 meters long and 20 meters high. The National Library is a part of the Hofburg and is located in the Neue Burg Wing. The Library was setup in the Middle Ages when the Austrian Duke Albert III moved books from the Viennese vaults into a library in the 14th century.
The central dome of the library is decorated with frescoes from the court painter Daniel Gran. In the centre of the hall are a few impressive marble statues of former emperors and a few large globes made by Vincenzo Coronelli. The library has one of the largest collections of writings of Martin Luther from the Reformation Era.
Schönbrunn Palace
One of the best monumental highlights of Vienna is Schönbrunn Palace. The palace and gardens are listed as UNESCO– World Heritage Site because of the remarkable baroque architecture. The Palace used to be the summer residence of the Habsburger dysnasty. It started as a hunting lodge in the 16th century and over time it is has grown into a palace with 1440 rooms. According to a legend Emperor Matthias found a spring on the estate, Schöner Brunnen, meaning fair spring. It eventually gave the estate its name, Schönbrunn Palace.
The palace is situated at the foot of a hill. The palace and the gardens are built in line with the baroque architectural principles and outlined via one central axis. The interior design of the palace show typical rococo decoration displaying rocaille ornaments, mirrors, gold coloured ornaments and wall paintings. Maria Theresia had a personal liking for Eastern Asian art such as silk, porcelain and interior wall panels which are still there today.
When you visit Schönbrunn Palace you can choose between several tours. The two main tours for the palace are the Imperial Tour and the Grand Tour. With the Imperial Tour you visit 22 rooms and see the private apartments of Franz Josep and Sisi and the state rooms. During the Grand Tour you visit 40 rooms. You get to see to private apartments of Franz Joseph and Sisi, the state rooms and also the gorgeous 18th century interiors from the time of Maria Theresia. At both tours audioguides are included. Visit the official website of Schönbrunn Palace to see all the available tours.
Gardens of Schönbrunn
The gardens at Schönbrunn are open to the public and free to visit. A few smaller gardens are only available when you purchase a ticket or book a tour with the gardens included.
The Gloriette
The Gloriette is the viewing platform on top of the hill behind Schönbrunn Palace. The building served as a viewing platform since the beginning of the 19th century. The Gloriette was destroyed during the Second World War and it’s been restored in 1947. Visitors can purchase a ticket to climb the stairs and admire the amazing view of Vienna. There is a café inside, Café Gloriette.
Neptune Fountain
The Neptune Fountain is located between the Schönbrunn Palace and The Gloriette. The fountain is built in the late 1770s. At the centre of the fountain Neptune is leaning on his trident. A long with his sea horses they are overlooking the stone pool of water. Neptune is surrounded by Roman mythology figures. The Neptune Fountain is situated in the public part of the park and kind of hard to miss. The fountain is outlined in the middle of the central axis between the palace and the Gloriette.
The Labyrinth
The first maze is created around 1720 and by 1892 it was gradually removed. Based on historical models the maze was re-created in 1999. You have to buy a ticket to visit the maze.
The Privy Garden
The Privy Garden is a perfect example of a baroque designed garden. The garden has four symmetrical flowers beds and is surrounded by a wooden pergola and four pavilions. The original fifth pavilion has been replaced by a modern iron viewing pavilion. From here you can admire the colourful patterns of the flowers beds. The Privy Garden is located next to east façade of the palace and used to be a part of the imperial private gardens. You have to purchase a ticket to visit the Privy Garden.
The Orangery Garden
The Orangery Garden is the second largest baroque orangery in Europe after Versailles. It was designed by Nicolaus Pacassi around 1754. The western section of the orangery is still used as overwintering place for exotic plants. During the summer months and with good weather conditions the plants are taken out and they divide the plants around the park at Schönbrunn. For the Orangery Garden you have to purchase a ticket.
Albertina
The Albertina is a museum exhibiting 65.000 drawing and around 950.000 old master prints, as well as photographs, architectural drawings and modern graphic works. A large part of the older prints and works are not included in the permanent collection due to its fragile state. It includes work of Michelangelo, Rafael, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt van Rijn, Albrecht Durer, Peter Fendi and Leonardo da Vinci.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum or the Museum of Fine Arts is located at the Maria Theresien-Platz. Across the Kunsthistorisches Museum is the Natural History Museum of Vienna. The two museums have a similar design and are constructed between 1871 and 1891. The Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary commissioned the two museums to create a suitable place for the Habsburgs art collection and to make it accessible to the general public. The facades of both buildings are designed in the symmetrical renaissance style with large arched shaped windows and a 60 meter high dome.
Rubens in Vienna
A few notable works in the Museum of Fine Arts include Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Albrecht Dürer, ten works of Pieter Brueghel the Elder (most famous one is The Tower of Babel), Michelangelo, Pieter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer and Diego Velázquez.
I’m a personal fan of Rubens work and one his works displayed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum brings us back to Antwerp (my hometown) and India (one of my favourite countries to visit). One of Rubens paintings, The Miracles of St. Francis Xavier, was commissioned by the Jesuits of the Sint-Carolus Borromeus church in Antwerp (an article I wrote last year). The painting depicts the miracles worked by St. Francis Xavier during his mission to Asia. The painting shows a variety of figures from Asia and Africa, as well as the destruction of a Hindu idol.
Rubens drew the Hindu figure based on information he received from sculptures and travel notes (two years ago I wrote an article about Hinduism and Indian culture). Another way Rubens received information about Indian culture was through goods from India that were traded in Antwerp. In the centre of the painting is a man wearing a Korean attire. Rubens used foreign attire in his paintings and drawings to add dramatic effects. The figure was originally going to wear a Turkish attire but the Jesuits wanted a variety of clothing in the painting to represent their activity in Asia.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
The St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna. The Romanesque and gothic architectural style of the cathedral was mostly initiated by Duke Rudolf IV. The most unique element of the cathedral is the multi-coloured tile roof. Today it’s one of most recognizable symbols of the city.
During the Middle Ages every European city had their own set of measures. To help visiting merchants to comply with the local rules these standard measures had to be publicly accessible. The official Viennese ell length are embedded in the cathedral wall (to be found on the left side of the main entrance).
Plague statue
The Plague Statue is inspired by the tradition of Marian and Holy Trinity columns. To get rid off the pest plague the city of Vienna built a wooden Plague column on the street Graben in the city centre of Vienna. The baroque column that is standing today was inaugurated in 1694. Several designs were made by Matthias Rauchmiller, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (Schonbrunn Palace, the Austrian National Library, Karlskirche) and Paul Strudel.
Belvedere museum & gardens
Two other amazing monumental highlights of Vienna are the Belvedere museum and gardens. The Belvedere museum is a historical baroque palace complex including the Upper and Lower Belvedere, Belvedere 21 and the gardens. The Belvedere complex is situated on the south east side of the city centre in Vienna, close to Wien Hauptbahnhof. The Lower and Upper Belvedere are constructed in the early 18th century and commissioned by Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Prince was a French military commander and became an Austrian national hero after several successful wars against the Ottoman Empire.
The Lower Belvedere displays temporary art exhibitions year round and includes the Palace Stables, the Privy Garden and the Orangery (now an exhibition space). The Upper Belvedere is a ceremonial palace with impressive interior architecture. The Empress Maria Theresa acquired the entire complex after the death of Prince Eugene. She transformed the Upper Belvedere into a museum with the imperial art collection. It became one of the first public museums in the world. The Marble Hall at the Upper Belvedere is an place of important historical events and today it gives an unparalleled view of the baroque Belvedere gardens and the city of Vienna.
Do you travel on a budget? The museums in Vienna are quite expensive. To save money you can better skip the Belvedere Museum. The museum is oke when you are a real art lover but Schönbrunn Palace for example is much nicer. Or save the money for another museum of your liking. The Belvedere gardens are open to the public and free of charge and well worth a visit.
City Hall
The City Hall (Rathaus) is located along the Ringstraße and built in a gothic architectural style. It even has a tower that is similar to gothic cathedrals in Europe. The City Hall is now the headquarters of Vienna’s municipal administration. The façade of the Vienna City Hall is a model of the Flemish and Brabant architecture found in Belgium and the Netherlands. An example is the Town Hall of Brussels.
In front of the City Hall or Rathaus is the Rathausplatz. The Rathausplatz is often used for large outdoor events: the Rathaus Film Festival, Vienna Ice World and Christmas market. The city organises festivals at the Rathausplatz year round. Check out the events by month at Visiting Vienna.
Karlskirche
The Karlskirche is a beautiful example of a baroque church. The church is located at the Karlsplatz and the Roman Catholic church is dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, like the Sint-Carolus Borromeus church in Antwerp. The architecture of the Karlskirche is (again) Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. After his death in 1723 his son, Joseph Emanual Fischer von Erlach, finished the construction of the church. The interior design of the church is a mix of baroque and rococo elements. You need to buy a ticket to visit the Karlskirche and the money is used to renovate the church. Another way to admire the interior architecture is to book a concert at the Karlskirche. It’s an unique experience to go to a concert in a church. I can personally recommend it.
Resselpark
In front of the Karlskirche is Resselpark. A nice small park where you can quietly read a book, drink a beer or just watch people go by, all with a stunning view of the Karlskirche. There is a nice playground for the little ones as well.
Stadtpark
The Stadtpark or city park is an artificial park. The design of the park was inspired by the English gardens. The park opened in 1862 and it was the first public park in Vienna. The Kursalon is located in the Stadtpark. It used to be a spa pavilion and mineral water with healing properties was served here in the 19th century. The renaissance building is now used for concerts, nightclub events and congress events. There are a few monuments at the Stadtpark of prominent individuals such ass Franz Schubert, Robert Stolz and Johann Strauß II. The last one is the most famous monument of the Stadtpark.
Burggarten
The Burggarten is located between the Ringstraße and the Albertina (Hofburg). It’s a perfect spot to relax a bit after the visiting several places in the city centre of Vienna. The Burggarten is the location of the famous Mozart monument. The park used to be private garden for the Habsburgs family and first opened to the public in 1919. An eye-catcher at Burggarten is the Palm house, a glass and steel construction built in 1901 and used as private orangery for the Habsburgers. At the centre of the Palm house is a café-restaurant.
Volksgarten
The Volksgarten is a part of the Hofburg and built on the same spot as the cities fortifications that were destroyed by Napoleon in 1809. Since 1823 the park is open to the public and known for the beautiful rose gardens. The Volksgarten has over 3000 rose bushes and about 400 different types of roses. At the centre of the park is a small sized neo-classical Theseus Temple. It’s a copy of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens.
Liechtenstein Garden Palace
If you like to go for a walk in Vienna and have some time to kill, go to the Liechtenstein Garden Palace. The palace is not open to the public but the gardens are. The Liechtenstein Garden Palace is a baroque building and houses the private art collection of the Royal Liechtenstein family. The private art collection includes works of Raffael, Rembrandt and Rubens. The only way to visit the palace is during an (exclusive) event or via a booked guided tour. The park is a quiet local park with sweet smelling flowers and benches in front of the palace. At the park is a playground for the kids.
Strudlhof stairs
The Strudlhof Stairs are across the street from the Liechenstein Garden Palace. It’s an outdoor staircase located in the Alsergrund district. The Art-Nouveau staircase has two central fountains and it’s worth a visit when you are in the neighbourhood.
Places to visit in Europe
Go for a virtual picture tour of Vienna and get a first impression of the historical, architectural and cultural wonders of the Austrian capital city. Check out other destinations in Europe and walk through the fairy-tale castles of Sintra in Portugal, admire the eclectic and creative architecture of Gaudi in Barcelona, explore the ancient Roman architecture in Rome or visit the monumental churches of Antwerp: Sint-Andries church, Sint Carolus Borromeus church or the cathedral of Antwerp.
