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HofburgCity/Region: Vienna
The Hofburg Palace, or Imperial Palace, was the home of the Austrian Hapsburgs for 600 years. The first fortifications were erected by King Ottakar Premyst in the 13th century and were added to by every generation until it became the monumental structure it is today. As well as housing the president's offices, the palace now encompasses 22 separate museums, the National Library, a 14th-century Augustinian church, the famous Spanish Riding School and the Royal Chapel, where every Sunday the Vienna
Boy's Choir sing Mass (they have performed for the Royal Court since 1498). It will be impossible to even catch a glimpse of everything on display at the Hofburg, so visitors should be selective. The most popular of the museums is the Kaiserappartements, which takes visitors on a tour of the Kaiser's imperial apartments, the Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Silver Collection.
Address: Innerer Burghof 1, Kaisertor
Phone Number: (0)1 533 7570
Email Address: info@hofburg-wien.at
Website: www.hofburg-wien.at
Transport: U-Bahn to Herrengasse; tram D, J, 1 or 2 to Burgring; bus 2A or 3A to Hofburg
Hours: Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection: daily 9am to 5pm (until 5.30pm in July and August)
Admission: Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection: EUR9.90 (adults), EUR4.90 (children 6-18); other concessions available
Spanish Riding SchoolCity/Region: Vienna
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna is the oldest and last riding school in the world where classic dressage is still practiced in its purest form. This Institute was founded in 1572 and named for the Lipizzaner horses, which are of Spanish origin. The Imperial Court Stud was originally situated near the village of Lipizza (hence the name of the horses) but since the collapse of the Danube Monarchy in 1920 they have been bred at the Federal Stud in Styria. The horses perform their tricks in the Winter Riding School, which was commissioned by Emperor Karl VI. Performances take place between February and June, September and December but are in high demand and booked up months in advance (details on their website). The easiest way to see the horses is during their training sessions. Tickets are only available at the door, and cannot be booked in advance. Situated in the stables is the Lipizzaner Museum, which displays the history of the school.
Address: Michaelerplatz 1
Phone Number: (0)1 533 9031-0
Website: www.spanische-reitschule.com
Transport: U-Bahn to Herrengasse, or tram D, J, 1 or 2 to Burgring
Hours: Museum: daily 9am to 6pm; training sessions: Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 12pm
Admission: EUR5 (museum); EUR12 (training sessions); concessions available. Performances range from EUR18 (standing room) to EUR165
Museum of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches Museum)City/Region: Vienna
This museum was built between 1872 and 1891 to house the vast collections then owned by the Hapsburgs who were enthusiastic patrons and collectors of the arts. With its magnificent renaissance architecture and superbly decorated ceiling, the museum is a masterpiece in its own right. It is one of the richest and most important in the world; its collections range from Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman Antiquities to the Collections of Medieval Art and the splendid Renaissance and Baroque Collections. It houses the works of Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Bruegel and Van Dyke, to name just a few.
Address: Maria Theresien Platz
Phone Number: (0)1 525 24-0
Email Address: info@khm.at
Website: www.khm.at
Transport: U3 to Volkstheater station
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm; Thursday 10am to 9pm
Admission: EUR10 (adults); concessions available. Guided tours cost EUR2.00. Admission is until half an hour before closing
Schönbrunn PalaceCity/Region: Vienna
The magnificent Schönbrunn Palace was used as the summer residence of the Hapsburgs from the 18th century onwards. Set amongst superb gardens this vast, symmetrical structure is everything you would imagine an imperial palace to be. A tour of the palace offers visitors the chance to view the superb assortment of Baroque and Rococo State Rooms and to admire the famous ceiling frescoes of the Great Gallery and the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart once played. The vast gardens are popular with locals and tourists alike, and include a zoo, a maze and labyrinth, the Privy garden, and the Gloriette with viewing terrace. Also within the grounds, the Orangery plays host to classical concerts during the summer season.
Address: Schönbrunner Schloss Strasse 13
Phone Number: (0)1 8111 3239
Website: www.schoenbrunn.at
Transport: U4 to Schönbrunn station, trams 10 or 58, bus 10A
Hours: Palace: daily 8.30am to 5pm (April to June, September, October); 8.30am to 6pm (July, August); 8.30am to 4.30pm (November to March). Park: daily at 6am (6.30am from November to March), closing times vary according to the season, between 5.30pm and 9pm
Admission: Grand Tour: EUR12.90 (adults), EUR6.90 (children 6-18). Various other tour options available. Maze and Labyrinth: EUR2.90 (adults), EUR1.70 (children)
Giant WheelCity/Region: Vienna
One of Vienna's most recognizable attractions, the Giant Wheel is located in a large wooded park and playground known as the Prater. It was built in 1897 by an English engineering firm and is the only one of its era still standing (the ferris wheels in Chicago, London, Blackpool and Paris have long since been destroyed). The wheel with its 15 gondolas takes twenty minutes to maneuver around and offers magnificent panoramic views of the city.
Address: Prater 90
Phone Number: (0)1 729 5430
Email Address: info@wienerriesenrad.com
Website: www.wienerriesenrad.com
Hours: Daily 9am to midnight (May to September); daily 10am to 10pm (March, April and October); daily 10am to 8pm (November to February)
Admission: EUR8 (adults), EUR3.20 (children 3-14), concessions available
BelvedereCity/Region: Vienna
The Belvedere consists of two splendid rococo mansions, designed in the early 18th century, which face each other across formal, sloping grounds offering excellent views over the city. From the outside it is Vienna's finest palace complex, built by Prince Eugène of Savoy (1680-1735), the famous general who saved Vienna from the advance of the Ottoman Empire. The museums in the two palaces house some of Vienna's most renowned art galleries, offering excellent examples of Austrian art from the middle ages to present day. Their displays include an unrivalled collection of paintings by Klimt as well as famous works by Schiele and Kokoschka, Renoir and Monet. The Medieval and Baroque works are presented in the Lower Palace where many rooms have been preserved in their original state.
Address: 27 Prinz Eugen Street
Phone Number: (0)1 795 570, or (0)1 79 557 134
Website: www.belvedere.at
Transport: Upper Belvedere: Tram D to Schloss Belvedere or Trams 18 or 0 to Südbahnhof; bus 13A or 69A to Südbahnhof
Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm
Admission: EUR12.50; includes entry into both parts of the Belvedere. Upper Belvedere: EUR9.50; Lower Belvedere: EUR7.50. Concessions available
Vienna State OperaCity/Region: Vienna
The Vienna State Opera performs a repertoire of near-one hundred operas, operettas and ballets every day from September to June. The opera house was founded in the early 18th century (it was rebuilt in 1955 after being all but destroyed in 1945) and makes for a romantic and regal setting in which to enjoy the performances. As seating tickets are not easily available, an alternative is to buy standing-room tickets, which are well priced and can be purchased on the same day (but expect long queues). The State Opera collaborates closely with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and their famous New Year concert requires advance bookings of up to one year.
Address: Opernring 2
Phone Number: (0)1 51444 2250
Website: www.wiener-staatsoper.at
Transport: Take the U-Bahn lines U1, U2, U4 or the 59A bus to Karlsplatz or Oper stations
Hours: Guided tours are offered Tuesday to Sunday; check dates and times online or via telephone
Admission: Guided tour: EUR5 (adults), EUR2 (children). Opera tour and Opera museum combination ticket: EUR6.50 (adults), EUR3.50 (children). Other combinations and concessions available
Hohensalzburg FortressCity/Region: Salzburg
The 11th-century Hohensalzburg Castle stands on a rocky outcrop approximately 394ft (120m) above the city. Although originally built by Archbishop Gebhard to repel attacks from the neighboring Bavarians, the present-day fortress was largely rebuilt in the early 16th century by Archbishop Leonhard Von Keutschach who added the grand state apartments. Visitors can walk around the courtyard and outskirts of the fortress at no cost unless they take the guided tour around the state apartments. The tour finishes at two small museums (this is optional) that display a selection of weapons, uniforms and armour together with instruments of torture - such as the Schandmasken - which petty criminals had to don as punishment for their crimes.
Address: Mönchsberg 34
Phone Number: (0)662 842 430-11
Email Address: festung@salzburg.gv.at
Website: www.salzburg-burgen.at
Transport: It is possible to walk, or there is a funicular
Hours: Open daily 9.30am to 5pm (January to April, October to December), 9am to 6pm (May, June, September), 9am to 7pm (July, August)
Admission: Fortress Card (includes funicular, admission, museum entrance, almpassage, multimedia show): EUR10 (adults); EUR5.70 (children 6-14 years); other concessions available
St Peter's AbbeyCity/Region: Salzburg
If you only have time to visit one of Salzburg's many churches, make sure its the 9th-century St Peter's Abbey Church (Stiftkirche St Peter), one of Salzburg's most impressive Rococo buildings. The Peterskirche was built at the beginning of the 18th century on the foundations of the former church, which was founded in 792. The ornate interior is more impressive than the exterior with high marble pillars and a magnificent frescoed ceiling. The ancient catacombs that were carved into the rock face by the early Christian inhabitants are accessible only through a short guided tour.
Phone Number: (0)662 844 576-0
Transport: Bus 5, 6, 55
Hours: Open daily 6.30am to 7pm (April to September), 6.30am to 6pm (October to March)
Admission: Free
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