Vienna attracts tourists with its solid leisureliness, true aristocratic eccentricity, as well as a real European gloss. If you want to feel like a true aristocrat, take a ride through the Viennese streets in a horse-drawn carriage. You can get a feel for the rhythm of the city and get an idea of Vienna by taking a tram ride along the Ring. However, there are things that must be done in order to create for yourself a complete picture of the Austrian capital.
Taste Viennese coffee
It is impossible to visit Vienna and not taste Viennese coffee. Therefore, during a tram tour of the city, you should get off at any stop and go to the nearest cafe. Coffee has a symbolic meaning for the Austrian capital. It was here in the 17th century that coffee was first made as a homemade drink, and a little later the first coffee houses were opened in the city.
It is no coincidence that Coffee Day is celebrated annually on October 1 in Vienna. Viennese Coffee has become a real brand that symbolizes the growing popularity of this drink in Europe thanks to Viennese coffee houses.
Visit the art gallery
You can visit the halls of the art gallery in the History and Art Museum, and at the same time taste Viennese cuisine and famous pastries every Thursday evening. Visitors decide for themselves when to sit down at the table and when to give preference to spiritual food. In this original restaurant, you can combine a birthday celebration and an introduction to the art of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, as well as the art of the Middle Ages.
Listen to organ music at St. Stephen's Cathedral
In addition to the pleasant emotions caused by the classical concert, you can explore this main attraction of Vienna. The cathedral is a majestic building made in the Gothic style with baroque elements. The largest bell among the 23 bells of this Catholic building weighs 21 tons and is considered one of the largest in Europe.
The sound of this bell heralds the arrival of the New Year in Austria. The miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary is kept in the Cathedral of St. Stephen, which attracts many pilgrims. The sick and suffering strive to pray at the Icon of Pech and ask the Mother of God for healing. In the catacombs of the church are the tombs of the Habsburg dynasty, the founder of the cathedral and many famous aristocrats of the past.
Visit the Schönbrunn Palace
While in the Austrian capital, one cannot but visit the Schönbrunn Palace. This palace, in its beauty and importance for the Austrian emperors, had the same significance as Versailles for the French kings. It is not for nothing that the palace complex is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
There are 1441 rooms in the palace, among which is the study of Maria Theresa, in which little Mozart performed his first musical works in front of the empress. On the territory of the palace there is a greenhouse, where exotic plants brought here from tropical countries grow, and within the palace park there is a puppet theater, the original performances of which do not leave anyone indifferent.
Look at the clock at noon
Once on the oldest square in Vienna at noon, you should pay attention to the "Dancing Clock" that adorn the buildings of the insurance company and form a kind of bridge between them. It is at noon that twelve figures of famous personalities, including Empress Maria Theresa, Prince Eugene of Savoy, composer Joseph Haydn, appear on the bridge and pass to the sound of the music of the era in which they lived.
See the building of the Austrian Parliament
Certain symbolism is embodied in the building of the Austrian Parliament. The style of ancient Greece, borrowed by the architect Theophilus Hansen, points to the Greek origin of the concepts of "politics" and "democracy".
In addition, the building was created from building materials brought from each Austrian province, which personified the unity of interests and their submission to the emperor. The independence of the legislative function of parliamentarians was reflected in the autonomous regime of the parliament. As in most European countries, the most important state events take place in the Parliament building.
Visit the Schönbrunn Zoo
This oldest zoo, built in the Baroque style, keeps animals in extremely comfortable conditions, corresponding to their habitat in the wild. The best indicator of the excellent keeping of animals is the fact that many of them have offspring.
In particular, in 2007 giraffes, seals, armadillos and anteaters acquired cubs. In the same year, a newborn panda was born here, which is a rare case for any zoo.
Enter the Music Museum
Many people associate Vienna with classical music. It is no coincidence that since 2000, in the building of the former Habsburg palace, a museum, the House of Music, has been functioning in this city. In addition to acquiring knowledge about the principles of the operation of musical instruments, you can visit this museum as a conductor with a virtual orchestra. Interestingly, the orchestra members act as the judge of the newly minted conductor, welcoming the excellent performance with applause.
Appreciate the Vienna Opera
The building of the Vienna Opera was not immediately accepted by the fastidious residents of the city. They criticized the new theater so mercilessly that the architect who directed the construction of the theater, unable to withstand the constant barbs, was forced to commit suicide. Today, the Viennese opera is a source of pride for the inhabitants of the Austrian capital. No other theater in the world can boast of such a richness and variety of repertoire as the Vienna Opera, which is also distinguished by its high quality of performance.
Take a walk in the Vienna Woods
In conclusion, it is worth taking a walk through the Vienna Woods, located in the immediate vicinity of the city. It is not for nothing that the Vienna Woods are called "the lungs of Vienna". Not every capital can boast of the close proximity of a biosphere reserve, which UNESCO declared a territory where 2 thousand species of plants grow, animals that are threatened with extinction and 150 species of birds live freely. Many exciting excursions are held here, among which it is worth noting the annual “Day of the diversity of species”.
