#22 best destination in the world

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Kunsthistorisches_Museum_Wien,_das_Treppenhaus

  • Art museum in Vienna, housed in its palatial building, crowned with an octagonal dome
  • It is the largest art museum in the country and one of the most important museums worldwide
  • Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary opened the facility around 1891
  • The emperor commissioned the museum to create a suitable home for the Habsburgs’ formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public
  • The building displays symmetrical Renaissance Revival façades of sandstone lined with large arched windows
  • The interiors of the museums are lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentation, gold-leaf, and murals

Schönbrunn Palace, Hietzing

  • Main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing
  • The 1,441-room Rococo palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in the country
  • The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs
  • It has been a major tourist attraction since the mid-1950s

St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna

  • Mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna
  • The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147
  • The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen’s Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-colored tile roof, become one of the city’s most recognizable symbols

Hofburg, Vienna

  • Former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty
  • Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards
  • It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence
  • Since 1279 the Hofburg area has been the documented seat of government
  • The Hofburg has been expanded over the centuries to include various residences, the imperial chapel, the imperial library, the treasury, the Burgtheater, the Spanish Riding School, and the imperial mews

Belvedere, Vienna

  • Historic building complex in Vienna, consisting of two Baroque palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables
  • The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and wrought iron gates
  • The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy
  • The Belvedere was built during a period of extensive construction in Vienna
  • This period of prosperity followed on from the commander-in-chief Prince Eugene of Savoy’s successful conclusion of a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire

Vienna State Opera

  • Opera house and opera company based in Vienna
  • The 1,709 seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road
  • It was built from 1861 to 1869
  • The opera house was inaugurated as the “Vienna Court Opera”
  • It became known by its current name after the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1921

Hohensalzburg Fortress, Salzburg

  • Large medieval fortress in the city of Salzburg
  • It was erected at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg
  • The fortress is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe