Your travel guide to Austria - the most beautiful of the classical capitals of the European continent

 Your travel guide to Austria - the most beautiful of the classical capitals of the European continent

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is a beautiful city full of history and is considered one of the most important European cultural centers. 

Over the centuries, it has had a great influence on the world of classical music, opera, and art. As the former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Vienna hosts countless monuments, imperial palaces, countless wonderful museums, and beautifully decorated churches and cathedrals.

With a mild continental climate, the capital of Austria is one of the most sought-after European cities to visit at any time of the year. In the summer, the city is filled with delight with its charmingly decorated gardens. In the winter, the city offers exhibitions and exceptional appearances throughout the year, especially during the Christmas period, which can be said to be always the most beautiful city in the entire continent at that time.

However, here is what you should keep in mind during your next trip to Vienna:

For classical music lovers:

Vienna is famous for its musical heritage of classical works. Here appeared and developed the most important great musicians of the classical period in Europe, such as Bach, Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, and Celery. At the same time, Vienna was the favorite setting of many Romantic composers who cannot be remembered without Schubert's name in their preface.

With such a rich musical history, the city still hosts plenty of attractions that tell of those who changed the form of music forever. The most important of these landmarks include “Mozarthaus”, which is the former residence of Genius Mozart, in addition to the Mozart statue in the Hofburg Palace, which is a place that you should not miss visiting, especially if you are one of those who are enthusiastic about the works of the great composer. In the city, you will also find cafes, restaurants, and shops named after Mozart and plenty of concerts and musical events that present Mozart's works.

Schaubert, Strauss, and Beethoven also have their own homes that are now museums that attract classical music enthusiasts from all over the world. The Wiener Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera, also offers tours for visitors for less than €5. It is a wonderful place that hosts the best musical acts and ballet performances in the world. Nearby is the Haus der Musik (House of Music), a place where the halls are associated with the kind of modern technology that dazzles all visitors, adults, and children.

For lovers of history, art, and architecture:

If you go to Vienna and want to learn about its history and culture, you must first start with the Hofburg Palace. With its splendid Gothic architecture, the palace was inhabited by the imperial family until 1918. Here you can visit the imperial apartments and the treasury that housed the imperial jewels of the Habsburg dynasty. You can also visit the Austrian National Library, the four museums, as well as the Spanish Riding School.

Then take a stroll down Ringstrasse to visit the twin museums built at the behest of the Emperor, where the enormous art collection of the Habsburg dynasty is located. The first is the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which is one of the richest and most important art museums in the world and hosts many paintings from the eighteenth century, collections of Renaissance and Baroque art, and impressive collections of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities. 

The second is the Museum of Natural History Vienna, which is one of the largest and most impressive museums of its kind in Europe. Vienna's Museum District also includes the Museum of Modern Art, the Leopold Museum (for Austrian art) and the Vienna Museum of Architecture and Urban Design. and the Museum of Applied Arts, which offers free admission on Tuesdays.

If you want to take a break from visiting museums, head to Bogarten and Fox Gratten which are two very beautiful parks, which are perfect places to relax.

The famous Schönbrunn Palace is located near the city center. Compared to the Palace of Versailles in Paris, this palace is considered gigantic, with wonderful gardens extending even beyond the palace building, to be one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings in Europe. It was used in the past as an imperial summer residence. And if you do not want to go far from the city center, we suggest that you visit the Belvedere Palace, which was built in the Baroque style in the middle of a magnificent park and made by the famous architect J. To. Von Hildebrandt by Eugene of Savoy.

You can't leave Vienna without visiting the city's most important church, the Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) which was built in Gothic and Romanesque styles. and the Karlskirche (St. Carol's Church). It is dominated by the Baroque architectural style. Both have towers that you can climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city.

Viennese cuisine:

Vienna has its own cuisine, although it is often considered to be uniquely distinct in its own right, but is sometimes said to be the alternative to German cuisine. Viennese gastronomy is unique in many ways.

Among the dishes, we recommend that you try while in Vienna are Rindsuppe (beef soup), Wiener Schnitzel (Vienna chiffon), Gulasch, Tafelspitz (beef with apple sauce and horseradish), Selchfleisch (smoked meat served with cabbage and dumplings).