A dive into the past in the footsteps of the Habsburg monarchy
Vienna is one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world. Its beauty, the omnipresent greenery of parks and gardens, and the quality of the air have earned the Austrian capital the prestigious recognition of occupying the top positions in the ranking. Although another factor in which it stands out should be added to the reasons for the investigation: its timeless charm. Visiting Vienna means doing an immersion in the past following in the footsteps of the Habsburg monarchy.
A must see for every visitor: the Hofburg Palace that was there Habsburg residence for six centuries and still surprises with its greatness. A complex of buildings with large courtyards house the imperial apartments and precious collections, including the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. These residences are the true symbol of the power of that imperial era.
Vienna is known for its splendid castles among which the Belvedere e Schönbrunn. Considered the Austrian version of Versailles, Schönbrunn was the summer residence ofEmpress Sissi. A masterpiece of Baroque art, the castle features white-painted ceilings with gold leaf decorations and rooms filled with Bohemian crystal chandeliers and gorgeous white-tiled stoves. While the rooms of Emperor Franz Joseph are all characterized by sobriety, the state rooms show the pomp and power of a dynasty that gave its name to an era. And it was in the hall of mirrors where he performed the musical genius mozart, at the age of 6, in front of a rapt court.
For centuries Vienna has welcomed artists and thinkers of great caliber, in the most diverse sectors, from literature to painting through music: Egon Schiele, Konrad Lorenz, Musil, Mahler, Klimt and the father of psychoanalysis Sigmund FreudAnd with Strauss, all names that have given prestige to a city that has become an important European cultural center. Even today we can feel that cultural imprint with a truly exceptional offer: more than 100 museums that house collections of global importance.
Vienna is also an excellent reference point for horse riding lovers. In it Spanish Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) you can observe the art of dressage as it was practiced in the high school of Renacimiento. The elegant Lipizzaner horses and their riders are an international emblem of Viennese culture. The training of horses, bred for centuries in Styria, allows the rider-animal couple to achieve a perfect symbiosis that transforms any performance into a spectacle of rare harmony. The famous riding school was designed and built by the baroque architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach (1729-1735) to provide riding lessons. to the young nobility of that time. An institution that still shows splendor today.
And if commitments prevent you from visiting the seductive city, you will have an entirely musical consolation: being able attend a concert in music Society, alla Vienna state opera o Burgtheater, an unmissable event for music lovers but not only. Be careful, you will not be alone: the performances of the Philharmonic Orchestra have an audience of one billion viewers around the world. Things that would make any rock concert scream with envy.
But what would Vienna be without it? its giant Prater ferris wheel? Immortalized in a thousand images, from postcards to posters, it has become the symbol of fun and free time in the city of the Austrias. On the contrary, they pay the St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Big Ferris Wheel has always been one of the favorite destinations for those visiting Vienna, whether for the first time or for the umpteenth time. A wheel that from a height of 64,75 meters allows a stunning view over the entire city. Built between 1896 and 1897 by the English engineer Walter Basset, the wheel received an author's tribute in the frames of the film "The Third Man", by director Carol Reed, with the interpretation - although little more than a cameo - of a extraordinary Orson. Welles.
