Vienna Travel Guide

The cultural capital of Europe, Vienna is a mixture of the past and present. Cultural and traditional cafes, exhibitions and performances are attractions for any time of the year in this vibrant city of Austria .

City of the waltz, Vienna has been the inspiration for many of the world's greatest composers. That tradition lives on in a rich and varied programme of concerts that regularly feature the works of Strauss, Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. Many of the capital's fabulous historical venues - the legacy of the Habsburg dynasty - also host opera and ballet spectaculars. Vienna's other famous performers are the white Lipizaner stallions whose equine dances have made the Spanish Riding School in the Hafburg Palace one of Vienna's most magnificent attractions.

Vienna is a city of contrasts. First, it celebrates the past baroque Habsburg and its majestic castles and parks. On the other hand, it hosts a young and dynamic community of musicians, theater and art creators from all backgrounds. At the Imperial Palace (Hofburg), visitors can admire the beautiful apartments of the Empress Sissi, apartments that already had a “gymnastics room” equipped with espaliers and rings. Vienna also has a lot of buildings Jugendstil and Art Deco and emphasizes the works of great artists such as Klimt, Otto Wagner and architect Hundertwasser, one of the best-known contemporary Austrian artists.

The past and modernism are blended with great dynamism. The National Opera (Staatsoper) in Vienna, the Burgtheater and the Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys the worldwide fame. Modern musicals attract an enthusiastic public. Art and culture, music and theater as well as exhibitions of modern artists in the proposed district museums offer a range of exceptionally diverse cultural events.

To recover from all these emotions, Vienna also offers beautiful places to pause. Viennese cafes are legendary. As anywhere else, the time itself stops with delight around a coffee and a strudel. And immediately after, towards the theater or wine tavern (Heurige), or the hectic life of the capital in full swing.

The climatic differences that exist in a relatively small country like Austria are due to its topography. The air masses from the Atlantic are blocked by the northern slopes of the Alps, they rise and then flow in the form of fine rain on the region of Salzburg. The heart of the Alps are characterized by changing weather with occasional thunderstorms. The south side is influenced by the Mediterranean sun and blue sky are at the appointment of holidaymakers. To the east of the country in the Pannonian Basin, the climate is much more continental, the hot states, icy winters and very dry. The summer with its lush pastures is the delight of hikers crossing the country by mountains and valleys.