braingamer
|
#1 Begin with an organized sightseeing tour, which will describe the highlights. (They're available in lots of languages - be sure to get one in yours.)
Plan to spend time at the Stephansdom and a full afternoon at Schönbrunn Palace. Reserve the second day for art, tackling the exciting Kunsthistoriches Museum before lunch, and after you're refreshed, the dazzling MuseumsQuartier, which comprises several major modern art collections. If your tastes tend to the grand and royal, visit instead the magnificent collection of Old Master drawings at the Albertina Museum and the impressive Belvedere Palace.
Do as the Viennese do, and fill in any gaps with stops at cafés (and sausage stands - my personal favourite), reserving evenings for relaxing over music or wine. (Whatever you do, stay AWAY from fast-food restaurants you can visit at home.) On the third day, head for the world-famous Spanische Reitschule and watch the Lipizzaners prance through morning training. While you're in the neighborhood, view the sparkling court jewels in the Imperial Treasury, the Schatzkammer, and the glitzy Silberkammer, the museum of court silver and tableware, and take in one of Vienna's most spectacular Baroque settings, the glorious Grand Hall of the Hofbibliothek. For a total contrast, head out to the Prater amusement park in late afternoon for a ride on the giant Ferris wheel and end the day in a wine restaurant on the outskirts, perhaps in Sievering or Nussdorf.
On your fourth day, get better acquainted with the 1st District -- the heart of the city. Treasures here range from Roman ruins to the residences of Mozart and Beethoven, the Mozarthaus and the Pasqualatihaus; then, slightly afield, the Freud Haus (in the 9th District) or the oddball Hundertwasserhaus (in the 3rd).
Put it all in contemporary perspective with a backstage tour of the magnificent Staatsoper, the State Opera. On the fifth day, fill in some of the blanks with a stroll around the Naschmarkt food-market district, taking in the nearby Secession Building with Gustav Klimt's famous Beethoven Frieze. Don't overlook the superb Jugendstil buildings on the north side of the market.
If you're still game for museums, head for any one of the less usual offerings, such as the Jewish Museum, the Haus der Musik, or the Ephesus Museum in the Hofburg, or visit the city's historical museum, Wien Museum Karlsplatz; by now, you'll have acquired a good concept of the city and its background, so the exhibits will make more sense. Cap the day by visiting the Kaisergruft in the Kapuzinerkirche to view the tombs of the Habsburgs responsible for so much of Vienna. |
Travel
Forum 
Austria 
No Spam
Adult 
Gambling
Unfinished
Deception
Plagiarism
Not English
