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Tourist attractions

Vienna is divided into 23 districts: 1st (Innere Stadt) - 2nd (Leopoldstadt) - 3rd (Landstrasse) - 4th (Wieden) - 5th (Margareten)- 6th (Mariahilf) - 7th (Neubau) - 8th (Josefstadt) - 9th (Alsergrund) - 10th (Favoriten) - 11th (Simmering) - 12th (Meidling) - 13th (Hietzing) - 14th (Penzing) - 15th (Fuenfhaus) - 16th (Ottakring) - 17th (Hernals) - 18th (Waehring) - 19th (Doebling) - 20th (Brigittenau) - 21st (Floridsdorf) - 22nd (Donaustadt) - 23rd (Liesing)
The central first district "Innen Stadt" is the historic city centre, which is surrounded by Ringstrasse, a 19th century boulevard with most representative buildings. The Ringstrasse runs where the city walls were until their destruction - an inner circle that is echoed by an outer one, the Gurtel. From the first district, several major roads extend to the outskirts - for example, the Mariahilferstrasse or the Wienzeile. The latter one connects the first district with the Palace of Schoenbrunn.
Vienna is framed by the hills of the Vienna Woods in the West and - at least the historic parts - by the Danube in the East. Other important landmarks are the Donaukanal and the Alte Donau, old Danube River beds.
Best attractions of Vienna, among many others, are:
1.) Schoenbrunn Palace;
2.) Belvedere Palace & Austrian National Gallery;
3.) Museumsquartier: District of Museums;
4.) Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum);
5.) Ringstrasse Road: 19th century boulevard;
6.) Stephansdom Cathedral;
7.) Hofburg: Treasury, National Library, Albertina;
8.)National Opera Wiener Staatsoper & Burgtheater;
9.) The Prater.

Schloss Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna
Modelled after Versailles near Paris, Schloss Schoenbrunn Palace was built in its current form on the peak of Austria′s Baroque glory over the course of several decades in the 18th century. Austria′s mother of the nation, Empress Maria Theresa was the first who decided to make this former hunting chalet the summer residence of the Habsburgs.
She hired Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, a kick-ass master of Baroque architecture, who had practiced the erection of massive buildings first in Salzburg and later in central Vienna, to build a castle fit for an Empress. Therefore, Schloss Schoenbrunn comes with all the bits and pieces a Baroque palace should have:
Pretty facades, formal gardens and a maze; an orangerie green house, a zoo and botanical gardens; facilities for carriages and for entertaining guests at state balls; state apartments and representative halls. No wonder that these days, Schloss Schoenbrunn is the most-visited tourist attraction that Austria has to offer.  (back)

Schloss Belvedere Palace & Art Museum
Back in the days of Austria′s Baroque boom period, high-ranking nobility that proved loyalty to the Habsburgs in the wars against the Turkish Empire, in the counter-reformation or with the suppression of Slavonic or Magyar ethnicities could earn themselves significant fortunes within a fairly short amount of time. Several families took over the possessions of Protestants, revolutionary Bohemians or newly conquered Turkish territories. However, nobody acquired as much as the legendary "liberator of Vienna", Prince Eugene of Savoy. Towards the end of the Turkish Wars, his fortune rivalled the one of the Habsburgs.
The Prince died with no heir - so his many castles, books and art collections and other possessions went back into the pool after his death in 1736. Two (or actually three) of his castles were in Vienna: His Palais in the first district now serves as the ministry of finance and has one of the most famous Baroque entrance halls in Austria, designed by Fischer von Erlach.
The other two are the twin buildings of the Belvedere: The Upper Belvedere and the smaller, yet more personal Lower Belvedere, connected by one of the country′s finest Baroque gardens. The two castles house the "Osterreichische Galerie" or "Austrian Gallery", which aims to give an account of all art that is Austrian from around the Middle Ages to Baroque art and "proper Austrian" art (after the formal foundation of the Austrian Empire in 1804) with Biedermeier, Impressionism, Realism, Expressionism and modern styles.
To the international visitor keen on sightseeing, it is most famous for housing the World′s largest Klimt collection and therefore, supplements the Schiele collection of the Leopold Museum very well. In Austria, however, the Belvedere has become a national icon in 1955. It was on the balcony of the Upper Belvedere that Chancellor Leopold Figl presented the signed "Staatsvertrag" treaty to the cheering crowds, announcing independence for Austria after the occupation through allied forces that followed WWII.  (back)

MuseumsQuartier - Vienna′s most Recent Art Museum Area
The MuseumsQuartier ("Museum′s Quarter") is Vienna′s most recent addition to internationally renowned sightseeing attractions. Spread over an impressive 60,000 square metres of exhibition space, the MuseumsQuartier unites an array of outstanding contemporary art as well as classic modern pieces including the World′s most extensive collection of Schiele works in the Leopold Museum.
It is situated in the former Messepalast or convention centre, which had previously served the Empire for the Imperial Stables - thus the splendid Baroque scenery with horse ornaments on the mantelpieces of most gates. The contemporary architecture that allows to adopt the historical buildings to their new purpose was designed by Laurids and Manfred Ortner.
The construction works started in April 1998 and only three years later, the MuseumsQuartier was opened. The refurbishment cost a stunning two billion Euros.  (back)

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (KHM) - One of the World's finest Art Museums
Every somewhat civilised visitor of Vienna will go to at least one of the many art museums that Austria's capital has to offer. The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien clearly takes the lead - aligned with the Hermitage of St. Petersburg, the Uffizia in Florence, the Prado in Madrid, the Louvre in Paris and the Pinakothek in Munich, the "KHM" as it is known to the Viennese is among Europe's finest museums of fine arts.
The KHM contains what used to be the result of many Habsburg generations' obsession with art. Like rarely any other dynasty of Europe, the Habsburgs collected artwork like crazy and spread this passion among the high-ranking nobility of their empire. Today, the KHM holds the fourth largest collection of paintings, the largest collection of Egyptian papyri, art objects from Greek, Roman, Etruscan and other early cultures as well as Renaissance collections, "devotionalia" (religious art) and the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation, Austria, Hungary, Sicily and a whole bunch of other territories that were part of the Habsburg's portfolio of possessions.   (back)
 
The Ringstrasse - Vienna′s Pompous Boulevard
The Ringstrasse is Vienna′s 19th century representative boulevard and as such packed with pompous buildings of National or even International Significance. They concentrate a great deal of the average tourist′s attention, proven by vast numbers of people that tour the Ringstrasse up and down pretty much all year round. The "Ring Road" was built after the demolition of the old city walls in the 1860ies.
The entire boulevard is very accessible by tram, although the traditional circular ones were closed in 2008. If you got the time, it is worth walking, anyway. However, this might take a lot of time, as the Ring boulevard is more than 5 kilometres long, that is why cycling might be a good compromise. (back)

Wiener Stephansdom - St. Stephen′s Cathedral Vienna
In the very heart of Vienna, in the centre of the first district, you will find the ultimate icon of the city, the biggest and highest of all Viennese churches, the national cathedral of Austria: The Stephansdom (St. Stephen′s Cathedral), affectionately called "Steffl" by many Austrians.
The cathedral has survived two Turkish sieges, religious wars, French bombs in the course of the Napoleonic wars and World War I without too serious damage. It was finally hit by bombs at the later stages of WWII and repaired with the financial aid of all the provinces of Austria in order to underline the importance of the cathedral for all of Austria.
Today′s cathedral is built in late Gothic and typically Germanic style. The first church on the site was Romanesque and built in the years after 1137 but burnt down in 1193. It was re-built in early Gothic style which also burnt down in 1258.
Today′s Stephansdom was built between 1359 when Rudolf IV laid the foundation stone for a new cathedral that was meant to emphasise the role of Vienna as a capital, and the early 20th century, when some of the choirs and chapels were finished.    (back)
 
The Hofburg
The Hofburg ("Court Castle") was the Imperial Palace for the Habsburgs for several centuries, although the current building that is bearing the name Hofburg was largely built in the 19th century and developed piece by piece.
There are two qualities to the Hofburg: Its utterly strange layout with no natural centre with the clear notion that it was re-modelled repeatedly; and the gigantism of the architecture, making it the climax of both the Ringstrasse buildings and the Austrian Imperial Era.
However, the palace started small: The oldest parts date back to the 13th century, the previous palace was on the "Am Hof" square near the Schottenstift Monastery, though. The oldest foundations pre-date the Habsburg dynasty and were probably laid by the late Babenberg dukes or King Ottokar Premysl of Bohemia. Between 1483 and 1583 and then again from 1612 to 1806, it was the palace and residence of the Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. After that, it was the palace of the Emperors of Austria and later Austria-Hungary until 1918.   (back)

Wiener Staatsoper, Austria′s National Opera in Vienna, & Burgtheater, Austria′s National Theatre
What is called the "Wiener Staatsoper" ("Vienna National Opera") used to be the "k.k. Hofoper" (Imperial and Royal Court Opera) in the days of the Habsburg Empire - in any case, the Viennese referred to it as "the first house" by the Ringstrasse road.
This refers to the opera as being the most exclusive, significant and noble institution of Austria as well as the oldest of the large, public buildings that were constructed in the late 19th century. The Staatsoper is one of the most important opera houses in the World and the pride of Austria, particularly the Viennese.
The "Wiener Philharmoniker" (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) consists of members from the Staatsoper′s orchestra staff, the ballet ensemble is probably the best outside of Russia. The famous "Vienna Opera Ball" or Wiener Opernball is organised in the opera every year. Last but not least, the Staatsoper offers top-notch productions of opera with very reasonable prices: Standing room tickets go for only 3.50 Euros.
The Burgtheater, Austria′s National Theatre , is one of the most significant buildings on the Ringstrasse. It faces the line of the Houses of Parliament, the Rathaus (town hall) and the University main buildings and is surrounded by some of Vienna′s most famous coffee houses. The theatre, colloquially known as the "Burg" ("castle"), is one of the most important theatres of Europe and - after the Comedie-Francaise - considered to be the second-oldest.    (back)

The Prater
The Prater in Vienna is the expansive area (6.143.984 square metres) close to the city centre where the Viennese go for recreation. Due to regulation of the Danube and extensive use of the park for recreation activities, relatively little remains of what was once a vast river basin used as the imperial hunting ground; today the area offers a wide variety of open spaces, ranging from natural riparian landscape to city park. Most of the trees both in the Vienna Prater and the Krieau are what is left of the woods that grew up on the "heaps", the islands that used to exist in the Danube.    (back)
 

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