Vienna, a treasure trove of palaces, arts and other culture

Ah, Vienna, the City's' name even evokes a Victorian feel of decadence. It's true, Vienna was and is a true paradise for luxury. Home of Wiener Schnitzel and Mozart, the city possesses many colossal palaces, extensive museums, opera houses and concert halls. If you are a classical arts lover, this may be your one-stop shop in Europe. If you enjoy touring homes and gardens bigger than most towns, this might also be your one-stop shop in Europe. Let's take a tour of what you could see in this wonderfully clean capital of Austria.

First, we visit the Schonbrunn Palace, home of the Hapsburg Dynasty and a home that could take you all day to walk through if you let it. This palace's gardens could take you another full day to walk through, including the world's oldest zoo. You can still stay for concerts featuring Mozart's music in the grand halls of this majestic building.

Next, we move towards the city center and find the even larger Hofburg, another Hapsburg palace that now also acts as home to governmental offices, the Sisi Museum and the Vienna Boys' Choir just to name a few. This gargantuan building was made piece by piece until it took up a large part of the inner city. You can still attend exciting beer and wine festivals in the gardens of this jewel (free of charge to enter, a cheap lunch as well).


The Belvedere is a less famous (Hapsburg) palace that is still about twice the size of the White House and has its own wonderful gardens and pools that are very well maintained (don't miss this, even if you become numb to incredible domiciles).


The Museum Quarter is most spectacular array of museums ranging from historical art, modern art and history of all kinds. This section of the city is over 60,000 square meters and holds numerous buildings. Make sure to go to the ones of your liking.

There are innumerable concert halls and opera houses including the Burg Theatre. Please treat yourself to at least one show depending on your appetite for the arts. If you are an art-lover, make sure you see a show every night!

There are many more contemporary masterpieces as far as architecture goes, but too many to name here. Just know that when you go Vienna, you will be very busy seeing all the sites but also remember to slow down and take in all the open spaces! There's a lot to see, but you would need years to see it all.

Please make sure to fill us in on your memorable experiences to Vienna and let us know what we left out (I know there's a lot!). We appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing from you!