Hofburg
The Hofburg Palace, or Imperial Palace, was the home of the Austrian Hapsburgs for 600 years. The first fortifications were erected by King Ottakar Premyst in the 13th century and were added to by every generation until it became the monumental structure it is today. As well as housing the president's offices, the palace now encompasses 22 separate museums, the National Library, a 14th-century Augustinian church, the famous Spanish Riding School and the Royal Chapel, where every Sunday the Vienna Boy's Choir sing Mass (they have performed for the Royal Court since 1498). It will be impossible to even catch a glimpse of everything on display at the Hofburg, so visitors should be selective. The most popular of the museums is the Kaiserappartements, which takes visitors on a tour of the Kaiser's imperial apartments, the Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Silver Collection.
Address: Innerer Burghof 1, Kaisertor; Telephone: (0)1 533 7570; E-mail:
info@hofburg-wien.at; Website:
www.hofburg-wien.at; Transport: U-Bahn to Herrengasse; tram D, J, 1 or 2 to Burgring; bus 2A or 3A to Hofburg; Opening time: Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection: daily 9am to 5pm (until 5.30pm in July and August); Admission: Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection: €9.90 (adults), €4.90 (children 6-18); other concessions available
Spanish Riding School
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna is the oldest and last riding school in the world where classic dressage is still practised in its purest form. This Institute was founded in 1572 and named for the Lipizzaner horses, which are of Spanish origin. The Imperial Court Stud was originally situated near the village of Lipizza (hence the name of the horses) but since the collapse of the Danube Monarchy in 1920 they have been bred at the Federal Stud in Styria. The horses perform their tricks in the Winter Riding School, which was commissioned by Emperor Karl VI. Performances take place between February and June, September and December but are in high demand and booked up months in advance (details on their website). The easiest way to see the horses is during their training sessions. Tickets are only available at the door, and cannot be booked in advance. Situated in the stables is the Lipizzaner Museum, which displays the history of the school.
Address: Michaelerplatz 1; Telephone: (0)1 533 9031-0; Website:
www.spanische-reitschule.com; Transport: U-Bahn to Herrengasse, or tram D, J, 1 or 2 to Burgring; Opening time: Museum: daily 9am to 6pm; training sessions: Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 12pm; Admission: €5 (museum); €12 (training sessions); concessions available. Performances range from €18 (standing room) to €165
Museum of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches Museum)
This museum was built between 1872 and 1891 to house the vast collections then owned by the Hapsburgs who were enthusiastic patrons and collectors of the arts. With its magnificent renaissance architecture and superbly decorated ceiling, the museum is a masterpiece in its own right. It is one of the richest and most important in the world; its collections range from Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman Antiquities to the Collections of Medieval Art and the splendid Renaissance and Baroque Collections. It houses the works of Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Bruegel and Van Dyke, to name just a few.
Address: Maria Theresien Platz; Telephone: (0)1 525 24-0; E-mail:
info@khm.at; Website:
www.khm.at; Transport: U3 to Volkstheater station; Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm; Thursday 10am to 9pm; Admission: €10 (adults); concessions available. Guided tours cost €2.00. Admission is until half an hour before closing
Schönbrunn Palace
The magnificent Schönbrunn Palace was used as the summer residence of the Hapsburgs from the 18th century onwards. Set amongst superb gardens this vast, symmetrical structure is everything you would imagine an imperial palace to be. A tour of the palace offers visitors the chance to view the superb assortment of Baroque and Rococo State Rooms and to admire the famous ceiling frescoes of the Great Gallery and the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart once played. The vast gardens are popular with locals and tourists alike, and include a zoo, a maze and labyrinth, the Privy garden, and the Gloriette with viewing terrace. Also within the grounds, the Orangery plays host to classical concerts during the summer season.
Address: Schönbrunner Schloss Strasse 13; Telephone: (0)1 8111 3239; Website:
www.schoenbrunn.at; Transport: U4 to Schönbrunn station, trams 10 or 58, bus 10A; Opening time: Palace: daily 8.30am to 5pm (April to June, September, October); 8.30am to 6pm (July, August); 8.30am to 4.30pm (November to March). Park: daily at 6am (6.30am from November to March), closing times vary according to the season, between 5.30pm and 9pm; Admission: Grand Tour: €12.90 (adults), €6.90 (children 6-18). Various other tour options available. Maze and Labyrinth: €2.90 (adults), €1.70 (children)
Giant Wheel
One of Vienna's most recognisable attractions, the Giant Wheel is located in a large wooded park and playground known as the Prater. It was built in 1897 by an English engineering firm and is the only one of its era still standing (the ferris wheels in Chicago, London, Blackpool and Paris have long since been destroyed). The wheel with its 15 gondolas takes twenty minutes to manoeuvre around and offers magnificent panoramic views of the city.
Address: Prater 90; Telephone: (0)1 729 5430; E-mail:
info@wienerriesenrad.com; Website:
www.wienerriesenrad.com; Opening time: Daily 9am to midnight (May to September); daily 10am to 10pm (March, April and October); daily 10am to 8pm (November to February); Admission: €8 (adults), €3.20 (children 3-14), concessions available
Belvedere
The Belvedere consists of two splendid rococo mansions, designed in the early 18th century, which face each other across formal, sloping grounds offering excellent views over the city. From the outside it is Vienna's finest palace complex, built by Prince Eugène of Savoy (1680-1735), the famous general who saved Vienna from the advance of the Ottoman Empire. The museums in the two palaces house some of Vienna's most renowned art galleries, offering excellent examples of Austrian art from the middle ages to present day. Their displays include an unrivalled collection of paintings by Klimt as well as famous works by Schiele and Kokoschka, Renoir and Monet. The Medieval and Baroque works are presented in the Lower Palace where many rooms have been preserved in their original state.
Address: 27 Prinz Eugen Street; Telephone: (0)1 795 570, or (0)1 79 557 134; Website:
www.belvedere.at; Transport: Upper Belvedere: Tram D to Schloss Belvedere or Trams 18 or 0 to Südbahnhof; bus 13A or 69A to Südbahnhof; Opening time: Daily 10am to 6pm; Admission: €12.50; includes entry into both parts of the Belvedere. Upper Belvedere: €9.50; Lower Belvedere: €7.50. Concessions available
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera performs a repertoire of near-one hundred operas, operettas and ballets every day from September to June. The opera house was founded in the early 18th century (it was rebuilt in 1955 after being all but destroyed in 1945) and makes for a romantic and regal setting in which to enjoy the performances. As seating tickets are not easily available, an alternative is to buy standing-room tickets, which are well priced and can be purchased on the same day (but expect long queues). The State Opera collaborates closely with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and their famous New Year concert requires advance bookings of up to one year.
Address: Opernring 2; Telephone: (0)1 51444 2250; Website:
www.wiener-staatsoper.at; Transport: Take the U-Bahn lines U1, U2, U4 or the 59A bus to Karlsplatz or Oper stations; Opening time: Guided tours are offered Tuesday to Sunday; check dates and times online or via telephone; Admission: Guided tour: €5 (adults), €2 (children). Opera tour and Opera museum combination ticket: €6.50 (adults), €3.50 (children). Other combinations and concessions available