Vienna

The church is a fine example of classic brutalist and cubist architecture, designed by the architect Fritz Wotruba. 152 concrete blocks have been assembled to form this unique-looking structure, with windows have been built into the remaining spaces. As strikingly different as the facade might look, the inside resembles a familiar church interior.

The Imperial Palace was the residence of the Habsburg emperor until 1918. From the 13th century until just before the end of the monarchy, the area was fitted out in imperial splendour with its present-day size. The original Gothic building around today’s Schweizerhof was extended on a continuous basis, resulting in an extensive building complex formed of different sections, which contributes an essential character to the appearance of Vienna's Old City. Europe’s largest imperial cultural complex today houses more than two dozen collections of international standing, including the Austrian National Library, the Imperial Treasury, the Imperial Apartments and the Sisi Museum, as well as the Spanish Riding School.

Vienna’s Museums Quartier (MQ) is one of the ten largest cultural districts in the world. At the edge of the Old City, in the former imperial stables, it unites facilities highlighting different fields of art with restaurants, coffeehouses and shops in an area of 60,000 square meters with a combination of Baroque buildings and modern architecture. This has created a colorful and diverse local scene against the backdrop of significant museums and collections.

Founded in 1572, the Spanish Riding School has put on performances in the Baroque Winter Riding School since 1735. These shows represent the highest form of equestrian art: the Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world in which the classic equestrian art has been preserved and practised unchanged since the Renaissance. At the gala shows, visitors can enjoy unique presentations by the Lipizzaner horses in the most beautiful riding hall in the world. The morning session offers an insight into the years of training that the riders and their Lipizzaners go through.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser created the Kunst Haus Wien with colourful tiles, tilted walls, uneven floors and irregular shapes often overgrown with rampant green: this was how the artist not only added new momentum to Vienna’s architecture but also established an exhibition centre that shows Hundertwasser’s works along with changing exhibitions of exciting contemporary art. The ground floor also contains a cafe and a shop.

Vienna Prater is a large public park, a place of nostalgic dreams for some and an oasis of greenery for almost everyone – it is the home of the popular amusement park and the location of the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna’s most famous symbols. The Prater is open from March to October, but the Giant Ferris Wheel and a few other attractions are open year-round.

A visit to Vienna’s most famous palace is a must for art lovers. The Baroque building structures have been preserved with “Viennese Charm" and host the 1,441 rooms that were once inhabited by the imperial family – 40 of which you can still admire during the guided tours today. Explore the architectural treasures of the Palace Gardens, such as the Palm House and the the oldest zoo in the world, built in 1752 by Emperor Franz I.

Two twin museum buildings were erected during the construction of Vienna's Ringstrasse as monuments to the imperial collections: the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural History. Embark on a journey through the breathtaking diversity of the natural world: from insects to precious stones and minerals to flying dinosaurs, you will experience fascinating insights into the history of our planet at this museum near the Imperial Palace. Numerous stuffed specimens of extinct species make this an invaluable collection. From the rooftop, where guided tours are offered regularly, you have the best view over Vienna's Inner City and the Ringstrasse.

The Vienna State Opera is one of the most distinguished opera houses in the world. The magnificent building on Ringstrasse was constructed between 1861 and 1869 by August Siccardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll as Hofoperntheater (Court Opera). You can catch a glimpse of what goes on backstage and admire the architectural magnificence of this neo-Renaissance masterpiece with one of the 40-minute guided tours .

Schools of yellow, red and blue fish, green mambas and sharks: over 10,000 animals from every continent live in the aquariums, terrariums and in the 20-meter-high tropical house with a waterfall, a suspension bridge and mangrove landscape. The tropical house and Krokipark (crocodile park) also include free-flying birds as well as monkeys and crocodiles roaming freely. The terrarium houses poisonous and giant snakes, lizards, leaf-cutting ants and tarantulas. The House of the Sea is located in one of Vienna’s monumental anti-aircraft towers and houses hammerhead sharks. The cafe on the 11th floor provides visitors with a breathtaking view of Vienna.

The medieval part of the Imperial Palace, the Schweizerhof, contains the unique treasures of the Habsburgs, including the Austrian imperial crown and the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. Further highlights include the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the collections of the invaluable Burgundian treasures from the 15th century. Jewels belonging to the Habsburg empresses and pieces of the original jewellery belonging to Empress Elisabeth can also be seen here. You can also discover legendary treasures such as the Holy Lance of the 8th century, the largest cut emerald in the world and the horn of the fantastical unicorn.

Vienna’s classical concert repertoire is dominated by two great concert halls: Vienna Musikverein and Vienna Konzerthaus. Millions of music fans around the world consider the Musikverein to be one of the most traditional concert houses, paying host to artists of the very highest calibre. From its Golden Hall, the annual New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is broadcast to the world on television. Another focal point of cultural life is the Wiener Konzerthaus in the atmospheric Art Nouveau style. Its musical bandwidth encompasses not only the classical repertoire, but also ranges from the Middle Age, Renaissance and Baroque music to Jazz, World and the progressive tones of the present day.