Vienna Things to Do Tips by Krumlovgirl

For a small fee, you can take a tour of this magnificent piece of architecture. For about $2 you can even see a show there-but you have to stand up. One of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. It’s so big that I have yet to see a picture, which captures the entire structure. It has a nice gift shop, too, for music lovers. It is also possible to take tours of just the opera house during the daytime.

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Address: Marienplatz
Website: http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node2/home/eninfo/2172.php

I thoroughly enjoyed the Schonbrunn Palace. My mother, who really got into Sisi and Franz Josef history while she was there, thinks that the Schonbrunn is wonderful. You will only see 40 of the 1441 rooms, however, so keep that in mind when you get tired! Emperor Franz Joseph (ruled 1848-1916), who was born here in 1830, spent the last years of his life entirely in Schönbrunn. In 1918, the palace became the property of the new republic. Due to this historical importance, its beautiful location and its gardens this palace is one of the very top sights in Vienna. The entire complex was added to the UNESCO's world cultural heritage list.The grounds are free to walk around in during the daytime and can be a nice way to spend an afternoon. At Christmastime, there is a neat Christmas market in front of the palace.

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Address: Schönbrunn Palace Schlosspark Schönbrunn, A- 1130

There are two palaces on the Belvedere grounds and both lie in the middle of a really nice park. They were constructed for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt, a famous Baroque architect. When they were first built, they were still located outside Vienna's city limits, but today they are a part of Vienna`s 3rd district which is not far away from the center. The Palaces' architecture and interior design are typical for Rococo style.

Today, both of the palaces are museums featuring Austrian painting. In the lower palace the Austrian Museum of Baroque Art displays Austrian Art of the 18th century. In the upper palace you can visit the Austrian gallery with a collection of 19th- and 20th-century Austrian paintings. There, you can find works of artist of the Secession movement such as Gustav Klimt (1867-1918), Egon Schiele (1890-1918) or Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980).

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Address: the baroque castle of Prinz Eugen

The Spanish Riding School is the oldest and last Riding School in the world where classic dressage is still practised in its purest form. It was founded in 1572. The Lipizzaner stallion is the oldest classic horse race in Europe. The horses have been bred in Lipizza in Slovenia. Tody, there is a stud in Piber, close to Graz. Young Lipizzaner are born jet-black and only turn white when reaching maturity. They need to undergoe elaborate training before they are able to perform their prancing Renaissance ballet to the sound of classical music. The Riders of the Spanish Riding School train the horses and perform in the Winter Riding School in the Vienna Hofburg (Imperial Palace) in a Baroque hall built by Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach between 1729 and 1735. The presentations of classical dressage have been open to the public since 1920.

The shows are often booked for months in advance, but you can also go in and watch them practice for a fraction of the price. In July and August the white horses enjoy their well-deserved summer break.

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Address: Vienna's White Horses
Directions: Located near the State Opera House.

This is my all time favorite cathedral-stunning. It was built in 1147 AD and for a long time it was uncontested as highest building in Europe measuring almost 137 m. Duke Rudolf IV of Habsburg ordered the complete restructuring of the church in Gothic style. In 1359, he laid the cornerstone of the nave with its two aisles. The South Tower, was completed in 1433 (the Viennese have given it the nickname "Steffl," representative of the whole cathedral).

The cathedral has got two very impressive features: The gigantic roof, and the tall, lean tower (136,7 metres of hight). Inside the Cathedral there are many art treasures like the tomb of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1754), the Altarpiece of Wiener Neustadt, the pulpit by Anton Pilgram (1514-15), the sepulcher of Emperor Frederik III by Niclas Gerhaert (1467-1513), the watchman`s lookout, a self portrait of the sculptor, and the Gothic winged altar.

Many myths are being told about Vienna's famous landmark. One is that this weird indentation of the wall at the left side of the main entrance was used to measure the size of a loaf of bread by dissatisfied customers. Then there's the story of the Servants' Madonna, which once saved an innocent girl from being arrested for stealing.
At the cathedral's apse you can admire the so-called "Zahnwehherrgott" (Lord of tooth ache), an 'ecce homo' statue once situated at the graveyard outside the cathedral.

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Address: St.Stephens cathedral
Directions: Stephensplatz

The Hofburg was orignially a medieval castle, but today only the castle chapel demonstrates its medieval past. Today, the complex is home to the National Library, Imperial Treasury, a collection of musical instruments, acollection of weapons, a Museum of Ethnography and the Spanish Riding School.

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Address: The winter palace of the emperor
Directions: Hofburg Innerer Burghof/Kaisertor, A-1010 Vienna