The must sees when coming to Vienna!
There is nothing like Vienna. Ten times in a row, Vienna was elected as the most liveable city worldwide. Wow – there are multiple reasons for that. So when traveling to Vienna and you are planning to visit our cultural highlights, you shouldn’t miss:
1: Vienna Ringstrasse
Our most famous boulevard! My personal favorite and #1 sight! It started in medieval times when we kidnaped King Richard Lionheart. The Brits paid around 50 carriages full of gold and silver and we used the money to build our first strong stone based city wall. 3 miles of length and up to 30 feet of height.
Very well done – because the Ottoman empire tried more than once to take over our city. They were standing in front of Vienna’s immense walls in 1529 and 1683. Both times we were able to defeat them.
So in the middle of the nineteenth century our former ruler Francis Joseph (1848-1916) commissioned to knock down the walls to build an amazing boulevard of impressive palais and monuments mixed with elegant luxury homes. It took us more than 50 years to create one of the worlds finest “Boulevard of dreams” in Vienna. We didn’t finish all our plans, but more than 900 stunning new homes were finished, mostly financed by local Jewish upper class citizens. Today a world heritage and you will be blown away by the endless amount of beauty along Vienna’s Ringstrasse!
2: Schönbrunn Palace
For more than 640 years the Habsburg family ruled Austria. As well the ruled in Spain, Hungary, northern Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland and many more countries all around Europe. Their headquarter was Vienna and their main residence was called Hofburg palace. Like every successful European noble family, they constructed hundreds of summer residences as well all over. Beside the hundreds of smaller and bigger hunting lodges, family homes there is this very special, magical, extraordinary summer residence called Schönbrunn palace. More than 1440 rooms, the nicest interior design you can imagine and a delightful garden including the oldest animal zoo worldwide. Schönbrunn Palace is part of the World Cultural Heritage and Austria’s most visited sight. This Baroque synthesis of different arts, consisting of a palace and gardens, has been in the possession of the Habsburgs for centuries, and is today largely in its original historical condition. Visitors will find numerous attractions, from a tour through the authentically furnished residential and representational rooms of the Imperial family in the Palace, through the maze and the labyrinth in the garden to a separate children’s museum.
3: Belvedere Palace
When art meets beauty. The outside is stunning – a real wow. The view from Belvedere palace garden, overlooking Vienna, is the best you can get. The upper Belvedere wasn’t built to live inside, it was built as a party house. Haaaa – what a luxury party location. The owner, Prince Eugen from Savoy, was one of the richest man ever in our history. Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663 -1736), succesful general and art connoisseur, had Belvedere garden palace built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as his residence. Prince Eugene was the most successful military leader ever in our history, has beaten the Ottoman empire a couple of times and finally ended up as number one advisor of three different emperors. What a man! His story is amazing. His art collection was tremendous.
Now we are using his palaces as museums showing Austrian art. The Belvedere is not only a magnificient Baroque palace but also houses one of Austria’s most valuable art collections, like key works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.
4. Vienna center and the loveliest sidewalk cafés
When art meets beauty. The outside is stunning – a real wow. The view from Belvedere palace garden, overlooking Vienna, is the best you can get. The upper Belvedere wasn’t built to live inside, it was built as a party house. Haaaa – what a luxury party location. The owner, Prince Eugen from Savoy, was one of the richest guys ever in our history.
soon as the sun shines and the temperatures rise, people take a seat in one of Vienna’s sidewalk cafés. And enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine outdoors. What’s more: This year, the sidewalk cafés are allowed to open right through the winter because of coronavirus. We tell you where to find Vienna’s loveliest sidewalk cafés. Off outside!When tables and chairs are carried out in front of a coffee house or beisl in Vienna, then summer is just around the corner.
The typically Viennese sidewalk cafés are set up on the first warm sunny days in spring. The season officially begins on March 1 and lasts until November 30; in this exceptional year, the sidewalk cafés will be open throughout the entire winter for the first time.The sidewalk café is a Viennese specialty and is not just a dining garden. What makes them special is that they are located on public land. Mostly on a square, in a pedestrian zone, on the sidewalk, or in a parking space – but always in the immediate vicinity of the actual establishment, of course. In total, there are around 3,500 sidewalk cafés in Vienna.
The Viennese enjoy the good weather in the sidewalk café. Flower boxes and large plants replace the garden fence, parasols provide cool shade in summer. When the weather’s cool, the waiters bring warm blankets. And, of course, seeing and being seen plays a big role. Those walking by think about taking a short break. Those already sitting there observe the passers-by.The first “official” Viennese sidewalk café was opened by Johann Jakob “Gianni” Taroni. In 1750, he was granted permission to place tables and chairs in front of his establishment on Graben in the city center. The term probably also originates with this ‘Schanigarten’ pioneer. Jean or Schani is the Viennese abbreviation of Taroni’s first name, Johann. Others derive the word from the request to the waiter’s assistant, who used often to be called over with the name “Jean” or “Schani”: “Schani, carry the garden out”.
There is nothing better than sitting with your private guide in a wonderful sidewalk café after a delightful city walking tour.
The very best way to discover the uniqu beauty of Vienna, is hiring a private guide. Peter and his team from Wienguide Private Tours is our local expert team in Vienna. Its a private owned small family business.
