Interesting places in Austria
VIENNA
A nearly whole Vienna is a reminder of times when Austria was a mighty empire. Nowadays, it has a population of more than 1.5 million inhabitants. It is a worldwide-known capital city of classical music and a concentration of beautiful, unique historical monuments, works of architecture and art, which are a proof of the rich history of Austria and the whole Europe. The old town in Vienna, Innere Stadt- so called inner city, was built in the area surrounded by the Danube channel from the one side.
It is surrounded by defensive walls from three other sides. At their place, a representative arterial street, Ringstrasse, was designed in the 19th century. Within the Ring, there are still some magnificent historical buildings, which give evidence for turbulent history of the city from the Roman Times up to now, and in many museums valuable reminders proving the rich past of the country are still preserved. This part of Vienna is a favorite place for walks and meetings. In the first district, there are elegant cafes, restaurants and the most expensive shops. Here is a list of a few mot important and most valuable historical relics of Vienna that should not be omitted during sightseeing:
Stephansdom – a cathedral, called in honor of St. Stephen,
the first martyr of Christianity, lies in the very centre of Vienna. It has
been located here for 800 years, although it was rebuilt many times. The late
Gothic style prevails here. The oldest parts of the temple are: the Riesentor
and Pagan Towers, which are the remains of an old Roman church from the 18th
century. The cathedral, which was destroyed in the Second Word War, was rebuilt
in its old shape thanks to the effort of the whole nation. In an underground
crypt, under the main altar, there are the remains of the Habsburg dynasty.
Graben – it is one of the most elegant commercial streets
of Vienna, available only for pedestrians. It is a very lively part of the city
centre which is full of magnificent restaurants and cafes. In the north-western
part, a boundary of this street and square constitutes the St. Joseph fountain
and in the south-east it is the identical St. Leopold fountain.
Schwedenplatz- it is a Sweden square, one of the most lively
places in Vienna. Here, next to the Danube Channel, under Schweenbrücke,
there is a harbor, where small white fleet ships offer many sightseeing trips.
Hoher Markt- it is the oldest square in Vienna. The attention
of tourists is drawn by a figural clock made of bronze and copper, located above
the entrance to the Bauemmarkt, designed in 1911 by Franz von Matsch. Every
hour, one of 12 figures of personalities, which contributed to the development
and the fame of the city, appears. At noon, all of them show up at the same
time. The baroque Joseph fountain, called also a Wedding fountain, is also a
decoration of the square.
Hofburg – the area of former imperial seat reminds the
inhabitants and the tourists of the past magnificence of the Habsburg empire.
This impression is irresistible while admiring majestic castle from the side
of the Heldenplatz or the charm and harmony of squares and palaces in Augustinerstrasse.
This part of the city is the most fashionable and most lively part of Vienna
both during a day or at night when visitors go to the spectacles or concerts
taking place in palace rooms.
Alte Burg – the emperor’s castle is the biggest
architectonical complex, its construction was initiated by the Babenbergs, and
its last part, so called the New Castle, was built first in 1913. Apart from
museums in Hofburg, there is also a congress centre, where debates of international
organizations operating in Vienna take place. Particular parts of this huge
complex are designed in different styles, from Gothic Schweizerhof, Reinessance
courtyard of Stallburg, to baroque Josefsplatz.
In the district, spreading north from Mariahilfer Strasse, along the Ring, there
are the most magnificent buildings of Vienna. A semicircle Ring , built in the
70’s and 80’s of the 19th century, divided into nine parts, named
after prominent political activists, is now the most representative street of
the city. Many cultural institutions are located here, e.g., the biggest complex
of museums in Austria.
Rathaus – a new city hall, the seat of the Vienna government,
surrounded by a beautiful park, was built in 1883 by Friedrich Schmidt. A symmetrical,
triple facade of this Neo-Gothic building is turned to the Ring. Its highest
point, a 98-metre tower with a figure of a knight in armour is one of the symbols
of Vienna. On its two sides, there are four lower 60-meter towers. There is
also a restaurant in the underground, and on the whole first floor there is
a representative room. Many events take place in front of the city hall, e.g.,
a Christmas fair.
Parlament – the construction of this impressive classical
building was completed in 1883. A raising driveway leads to the main portico
like in a Greek shrine. A low relief of fronton shows Francis Joseph handing
over a constitution to 17 representatives of the crown countries.
Kunsthistorisches Museum – Museum of Art History in Vienna is the fourth-biggest gallery in the world. Its collection is a result of a collecting passion of a few generations of the Habsburgs, supplemented by collection of d’Este family in 1918. The items collected for many years were made available for the public after the museum building in Ringstrasse had been built. The museum has one of the biggest and most impressive collections of works of art in the world. Apart from paintings, the exposition includes a rich collection of antique art, artistic craftsmanship and old coins.
Belvedere – was built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt
as a summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Lower Belvedere, where
living rooms were located, was built at the foot of a hill; graveled walks in
the garden lead to its peak where the representative Upper Belvedere is located.
Nowadays, there are museums in Belvedere.
Schonbrunn Palace – a summer residence of the Habsburgs
is a beautiful classical palace with a rococo interior decoration of representative
halls and a wonderful park.
Prater – one of the best equipped amusement parks in Europe. The most popular structure is a Huge Wheel, Riesenrad, which is one of the symbols of a city, built in 1896 by an English engineer Walter Basset. Prater is nowadays also a great relaxation area and a sports park. It includes a football pitch, horse race track, swimming-pools, tennis-courts, golf field and bicycle paths. A planetarium, numerous restaurants and outdoor snack bars are also located here. In the neighbourhood of the amusement park, there are also pavilions and huge market grounds, where the annual Vienna Fair and numerous temporary expositions take place.
SALZBURG
It is a city with the population of 150 thousands, called also a museum city,
which is divided into three parts. It comprises ancient narrow alleys, residentiary
and monasterial parts. The biggest attraction is the Hohensalzburg Fortress,
where most popular are its dungeons with mediaeval torture tools, a representative
room and a watch tower with breathtaking views over the city. Music concerts
are organised in a richly decorated Prince’s Chamber. The fans of Mozart
music can visit the house he was born in - Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart’s
Birthplace). His violin, clavichord and opera stage decorations are displayed
there. The residence of the composer was – Mozarts Wohnhaus (Mozart’s
Residence)– a house at Makartplatz 8, where currently an exhibition of
musical instruments from his epoch is displayed. A visit in Mozart’s archive
in Schwartstr. 26-28 is also an unforgettable experience. A small wooden chalet,
brought from Vienna, where the master composed the opera “The Magic Flute”.
A baroque cathedral at Residentplatz, which became a legend and where Mozart
was Konzertmeister, is a pride of the city. A baroque Collegial Church- Kollegienkirche
at Universitätsplatz is a pearl of architecture. Archbishops ruling for
over 700 years, had their own seat - Residenz – in the heart of the Old
Town. In wonderful rooms, there are the works of, for example, Titian and Rubens
and a three-dimensional ceiling fresco of Rottmayr. Schloss Mirabell with its
well- groomed rosebeds and orangery is also a delighting baroque residence.
Moreover, a charming and narrow alley - Linzer Gasse leads under a stone arch
to a severe Capuchin Monastery built at the end of the 16th century. The Rainer
Museum is located in the Hohensalzburg fortress- the museum is full of mediaeval
tools of torture. The Cathedral Museum has an extraordinary collection of art
and nature specimen – in the Chamber of Art and Miracles there are shells
and mineral formations. Under the cathedral, there are some Roman ruins. The
Bürgerspital Museum, in Bürgerspitalgasse 2 – presents regional
traditions of the town and its neighbourhood, while the National Costume Museum
displays an interesting and original collection of clothing from different regions
and periods.