Vienna - the Gourgeous Capital

Once the center of the great empire, Vienna still retains its majestic air and can alone reserve your whole trip with the list of sightseeings and attractions to see. In our article we'll try and give you a glimpse of this great world capital's most popular places of interest.

As Vienna once was the seat of the Habsburgs royal dynasty, there is a considerable number of palaces and mansions that used to serve as residences for the family at this or that time.

Among them we can't but mention the Hofburg with its 22 museums including the Kaiser Apartments and the Sisi Museum, the National Library and the Royal Chapel where masses are sung by the celebrated Vienna Boy's Choir, the Spanish Riding School still preserving the classical traditions of dressage...  The Imperial Palace has a treat to everyone's liking. Leaving the Hofburg, go to the Heldenplatz ranking among the city's most beautiful squares.

One location you'll find on every list of sightseeings and attractions is the Belvedere palace complex. Museums of the two glorious rococo-style mansions can boast housing great art collections and many of the rooms are marvelously preserved till nowadays.

Another important place to visit in Vienna is the Sch?¶nbrunn Palace. As well as Hofburg, this impressive construction would be on the list of best places in Austria even if it had no more attractions other than its magnificent architecture. Tourists who travel Austria should be very selective when drawing their itinerary through Sch?¶nbrunn, as admiring the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart used to play, wandering around the gorgeous large gardens and the orangery, exploring the zoo and the labyrinth can make you lose the sense of time and forget about other places you were planning to see.

If it does happen to you, consider visiting the 110-year old Giant Wheel of Vienna situated in the park zone that will let you survey the whole city for less than half an hour and may remind you of your plans.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna is a treasure-trove of the art collection owned by the Habsburgs that is one of the most comprehensive in the whole world. But, to tell you the truth, the museum decorations probably make it a work of art in itself, so simply examining the building could be a valuable cultural experience, too.

As the busy day visiting sightseeings and attractions turns into a cool night, the bustling city life does not stop. Vienna has so much to offer for pleasure-seekers, starting from more sophisticated entertainment like opera, theater or the glamorous Viennese Balls where men and women are elegantly dressed and ceremonial, to the carefree cabarets, nightclubs and cinemas.

Art connoisseurs will fancy visiting Vienna State Opera performing its large repertoire of almost 100 operas and ballets daily from September to June.

However, to do it, they'll have to make reservations far in advance.