When there arouses question of understanding Vienna in a better perspective whether historically as well as culturally then, there are many landmarks of Vienna that tells about city with a common as well from a tourist’s point of view. Below is provided selected list of must-see landmarks of Vienna.
• Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts): It is one of the world’s greatest art museums and is a serious treat for art lovers. It is called as mother of all Austrian museums. The museum contains world renowned exhibit of the Habsburgs’ art collection including Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Bosch, and Brueghel. The Museum also has an excellent collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art. The coin & medals collection is enormous in its collection.
• Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury): It is situated in the Neue Hofburg, and contains the Habsburgs’ collection of jewels, crowns, and other valuables. There are about 20 rooms of priceless treasures that present very accurate feeling of Habsburg court life over the centuries.
• Hofburg Palace: Hofburg Palace is a palace situated in Vienna, Austria, that housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It presently is the official residence of the President of Austria. The New Palace is the newest and largest section of the Imperial Palace. It contains the Ethnological Museum and three branches of the Museum of Fine Arts. The Ephesus Museum contains classical art from Asia Minor. The Collection of Historical Musical Instruments is self-explanatory, but the jewel of the New Palace is the Collection of Arms. This collection, second largest in the world, houses an immense and exhaustive representation of weaponry from past centuries.
• Schloss Schönbrunn: It was a former imperial summer residence in Vienna, Austria and among one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria. Its palace and gardens illustrate the tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. It was till 1996 was in the UNESCO World Heritage site. It gives an ultimate palace experience in Vienna. Its garden and zoo are worth visit. The Palace Park has a good number of attractions like Privy Garden, a Maze and Labyrinth and the top of the hill Gloriette with its Panorama Terrace.
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral: This is an example of architectural building in different architectural style, predominantly with Gothic impression. It is difficult to found out its original construction remains, yet its oldest extant sections are the 13th century Giant Gate (Riesentor) and Towers of the Heathens (Heidenturme) and both of which are in Romabesque design. Likewise there are many remains it the building as existed from time to time like 448 ft South Tower, the Pummerin, a huge bell cast from melted-down Turkish cannons and other are worth visiting.
• Votivkirche: It is one of the most recognized Neo-Gothic religious architectural sites in the world constructed between 1856 and 1879. The Votivkirche is situated upon a large square just outside the Ringstrasse boulevard in proximity to the University of Vienna. This church is on the location where an unsuccessful attempt to assessinate Emperor Franz Joseph took place in 1853. The Votivkirche is made up of white sandstone, like Stephansdom, that too is very susceptible to air pollution and acid rain making regular renovations necessary.
• The Wotruba Church: It is a lovely cubist church that is situated on the top of the hill overlooking towards the woods. Adjacent to church there is situated an open air planetarium next to the church.
• Kirche am Steinhof: It is a special church constructed by the Viennese master architect, Otto Wagner and is situated in a psychiatric hospital on the hills near the wood looking towards Vienna.
• Austrian National Library: Along with the impressive collection of Emperor Josef II dissolving all the empire’s monasteries it gained 300 manuscripts, 3,000 printed books and 5000 diplomata, the library has collection of about six million items and books and is the best in Austria. The library us also known for pioneering digitalizing and keeping its collection online.
• Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper): It is one of the best places where most beloved symbols of Viennese arts are kept. It was made from 1861 to 1869 by Eduard van der Nüll and August von Siccardsburg for then-emperor Franz Josef I. The first performance was Don Giovanni, an opera by Austrian native Mozart, on 25 May 1869. During WWII opera suffered massive bombing and reopened when the war was over.
• Prater (Park) with the Giant Ferris Wheel: This parks was started as leisure place for nobility like many other European parks Around 1896-97 an English engineer firm Walter Basset constructed Giant Ferris Wheel that is now recognized being as renowned symbol of Vienna. It contains fifteen gondolas of some of which are large enough to accommodate an extended family inside it.
• Secession Building: Architect Josef Maria Olbrich constructed this German-style Art Nouveau building 1897-98 for a place of exhibition for artists working in the new Secession artistic movement. At its top there is a giant frothy golden ball lovingly been called Krauthappel by Viennese.
• Lainzer Tiergarten: This natural reserve situated along the border of Vienna is attached to near by forest. Earlier this forest used to be the personal hunting ground of Emperor. This forest also has fancy “Hermesvilla” – the favorite mansion of Empress Sisi in Vienna. In present times a major part of the park remains closed in winter time, however in summer tourists can see wild pigs, deer and many other Viennese families. For making an entrance to park one can take tram 49 to its last stop
• Museumsquartier: It is a Museum District of Vienna serves as a cultural district of Vienna since 2001. Apart from many museums and cultural institutions are located there, it is not only a place for art but also is a fine urban settlement to spend out some leisure time out there.
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