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Vienna Highlights
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 Day Note
Here are a few highlights of attractions I like in the ring. Anywhere you go there are cool things to see. These are all around the Hofburg and out to the north side of the ring. Very walkable. Other things to see, especially on the ring itself are the Succession buildings at Karlsplatz, the Succession building itself and the Museum Quartier. Also check out the Stadt Oper (if you are interested you should see some music, Music Verein or the Opera will be world cla** no matter what you see.
Adolf Loos' infamous 'house without eyebrows' a reference to his refusal to adorn its window bays with stucco caused a major scandal in its day. Built 1909-11, the minimalist house incurred Franz-Josef's wrath and he subsequently ordered the curtains to be permanently drawn on the Michaelertor side of Hofburg. While today it's difficult to imagine what all the fuss was about, it is still possible to marvel at the superb modernist fittings, designed by Loos himself for the Wiener Werkstätte, as the building is now owned by a bank.
The Landtmann was opened in 1873 as the "most elegant café locality" in town. Nowadays, it is one of the centers of social and political life. Local journalists and politicians meet here for press conferences and interviews while actors from the Burgtheater study their roles with coffee and a slice of the café's legendary marble coffee cake (Marmorguglhupf). Hot soups, salads and main dishes are also available during lunch and dinner.
Part of the Julius Meinl brand is this world-class wine bar. Connoisseurs will vouch for the quality and selection on display. While the place is very much about the spirits, find fast food to go with it. Lunchtime brings in foodies and serious wine-lovers to sample the temperature-regulated elixirs along with cheese platters, antipasti, and a range of small plates. Wine can also be bought at the shop.
The Albertina resides on a plateau at the far end of Augustinerstrasse, beyond the Augustinerkirche. It is named after Albert, Duke of Saxony-Teschen, who bought the palace in the early 19th century and on the basis of his own enthusiasm as a collector and turned it into a place in which to display an arts collection. Today, the Albertina boasts one of the largest collections of graphic arts in the world, with approximately 50,000 drawings, etchings and watercolors as well as over a million and a half printed works by all the important artists from Gothic to modern art.
The huge Hofburg (Court Palace) is the most important secular building in Vienna, once the center of the powerful Habsburg Empire. The old Hofburg, with its many different sections and courtyards, was built (and renovated many times) between the 13th and the early 19th centuries. The Neue Burg (New Palace) was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, despite the dwindling power of the Habsburg Empire. Today, the Hofburg is home to various museums (Völkerkundemuseum, Schatzkammer, Nationalbibliothek, Albertina, Theatermuseum, Prunksaal, Lippizanermuseum, Spanische Hofreitschule and Kaiserappartments) and the library, as well as the offices of the Austrian President.
Cafe Landtmann
Day Note
These are all in the same general direction. The Hunterwa**er house and museum are super cool if you are into his style. The Prater is kind of kitschy, but on the edge of a great park and nice place to walk. If you walk all the way through the part you will find a great coffee house. Belvedere is not to be missed for many rea*ons.
Prater
Type: Picnics, Parks & Gardens
Best known for its giant Ferris wheel and amusement park, the Prater, a long stretch of woods and meadows between the Danube and its tributaries, originally served as the imperial hunting grounds. The park was opened to the public in 1766, and its giant Ferris wheel at a height of 67 meters and weighing 430 tons, was erected in 1896. The construction was used as a watchtower during World War I and was badly damaged in World War II. The Ferris wheel was immortalized in Orson Welles' 'The Third Man'. Nowadays, the funfair is full of high-tech rides ranging from 'dodge-em' cars to ghost trains, although some of the quainter elements still remain. To escape the noisy part of the Prater, walk along the quiet Hauptallee through the rolling meadows until you reach Lusthaus, a restaurant serving authentic Austrian dishes.
Established in 1991, the building itself was converted from the Thonet Brothers' furniture factory, built in 1892. One of Vienna's most famous modern artists, Friedensreich Hundertwasser designed this museum/art gallery and filled it with his beautiful and colorful paintings. There are also several international exhibits that change regularly, so you may want to visit over and over again. There is a large museum shop with fabulous artwork and other souvenirs. Of the four floors, the second is dedicated to the works of Hundertwasser, the third and fourth floors contain the international exhibits. On the ground floor, there is the shop and the large and beautiful Im KunstHaus cafe and restaurant.
Love it or hate it, this brightly colored, off-centre, eco-minded transformation of a drab council block by Austrian hippy artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser in Vienna's Third District is now as much a tourist attraction as the Hofburg or Stephansdom. By declaring war on the straight line and pledging to repay a debt to nature, Hundertwasser covered the facade in a chequerboard of primary colors, added onion domes and ceramic cladding, and planted lawns and trees on the rooftops. Inside, the 50 flats were given the disconcerting feature of undulating terracotta floors. Don't miss the nearby Kunsthaus Wien, another Hundertwasser transformation, housing a permanent collection of his art.
The Belvedere Palace, designed in baroque style in the early eighteenth century by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt for Prince Eugene of Savoy, is home to the Austrian Gallery. The Upper Belvedere houses pieces of Austrian art from the 19th and 20th centuries. The remarkable collection contains paintings by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Hans Makart, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Richard Gerstl and many others. The Museum of Medieval Art and the Baroque Museum are situated in the Lower Belvedere. Romanesque and gothic wood sculptures and altar panels and a comprehensive collection of works by Maulbertsch, Messerschmidt and Donner can be visited in the splendid summer residence of this former military commander. After visiting the Museum, don't miss a walk through the elegant parks and also the Alpine Gardens.
Osterreichische Galerie im Belvedere
There has been a wine shop on this site in Grinzig since 1137. Also, the name of the family boasts a long tradition; in the year 1372, the names Hengler and Henglweiner featured in the history books. Between the two parts of the building there is a garden with a playground for children and a courtyard in which to sit. Inside it is considerably spacious, with large rooms and a veranda on the first floor. The guests, who are from all parts of the world, are entertained by accordion players.
Schönbrunn Palace in its present form is one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions, hosting thousands of visitors a week. This rococo Palace was finished in 1700 under Leopold I, and is a much diminished version of an incredible Imperial project first planned by Johann Fischer von Erlach. The Palace was renovated and extended under Maria Theresia, and at that time had 2,000 rooms, a chapel plus its own theatre. Like all the imperial buildings associated with Maria Theresia, the Schönbrunn complex is today painted in rich yellow. Napoleon lived here from 1805 to 1809 and Emperor Francis Joseph I, who was born here in 1830, spent the last years of his life in the palace. Usually the complex only served as a summer residence to the Habsburgs. Take at least one day for this trip through the palace and the vast surroundings.
Vienna is known for its famous heurigen restaurants, traditional taverns serving local wine and hearty food, often accompanied by live Viennese music. The district of Grinzing is full of such establishments, most of which are beautifully preserved and lend the whole district a magical feel. Authentic heurigen taverns hang a branch of pine above the door to indicate the sale of home-made wine. Traditionally, these taverns were small, intimate and great value for money. Fortunately, this still rings true today. Numerous vineyards are located nearby and make a great place for a walk. Follow in the footsteps of Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven who both found inspiration in the (then unspoiled) surrounding nature. Composer Gustav Mahler is buried in Grinzing Cemetery. The heurigen offer reasonable meals with good local wines; by law, they can only sell their own wine - but this makes for many interesting tasting.
Visitors really need to put aside a whole day for Schönbrunn because the choice of things to do here is extensive: you can take a lengthy walk through the beautiful royal park, visit the biggest palm house in Europe, or go to the oldest zoo in the world. The castle itself was built between 1696-1713 and became a favored imperial residence under Maria Theresia (1740-1780). Cafe in der Gloriette, the highest point in the park, offers stunning views of the castle and the city.
Bach-Hengl
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