Austria Information
Joined: 11 Oct 2006
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Home Country: austria
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 Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:49 am Post subject: TOURISM IN AUSTRIA / AUSTRIA TOURISM GUIDE |
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AUSTRIA TOURISM GUIDE
VIENNA
Vienna's history can be traced back to Roman times. Like many cities throughout Europe, it is based on a former Roman military settlement called Vindobona. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the remains of this camp developed in to a town under the reign of the Babenberger dynasty. In 1492 it became the seat and capital of the Habsburger's Holy Roman Empire and began its development in to the city it is today.
Nowadays, Vienna is the capital of the Austrian Republic, the seat of government, home to approximately 1,7 million people and place of work for many Austrians from the surrounding area.
Vienna offers a variety of sightseeing options. The St. Stephan's Cathedral is one of the City's oldest buildings, combining, as a result of its lengthy construction time, a number of different architectural styles. The Ringstrasse, the former encircling border of the city centre was turned into a magnificent boulevard in the 19th century and is definitely worth a walk. A must for tourists is the Schloss Schönbrunn, the former summer seat and residence of the Habsburgs, with its parks, palm house, butterfly house and world renowned Zoo.
Vienna is a melting pot for what used to be a multinational empire during the Habsburg monarchy. The immigration of Hungarians, Czechs and Poles and other ethnic groups has left its influence everywhere, especially on the surnames of many Viennese inhabitants.
Vienna is not only the political, but also the cultural capital of Austria. The city offers a wide variety of theatre, music, art and cinemas and its cultural tradition of high art is well known worldwide. Vienna has been home to many famous musicians, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Falco. It is still a very popular place to live for artists from all over the world.
Places of interest in Vienna
Anchor Clock (Ankeruhr)
The Anchor Clock was built between 1911 and 1917 after the plans of the painter Franz von Matsch. It is situated on the oldest square of Vienna 'Hoher Markt' and represents a typical Art Nouveau design.
Belvedere Palace
The two magnificient palaces on the Belvedere grounds lie in the middle of a splendid park. They were constructed for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt, a famous Baroque architect.
Burgtheater (National Theatre)
The Burgtheater is situated in the first district. In 1741 Empress Maria Theresia handed an unused dance-house over to the theatre-company Sellier. Since then, this building was used as a theatre.
Danube Tower & Danube Island
If you want to enjoy a magnificent view over Vienna this is the right place to go. The Viennese affectionately call the tower "Concrete needle". It is 352 meters high and was built within 20 months!
Haas House
Haas House is one of the most exciting buildings in Vienna and the city's pride. Images of St. Stephen's Cathedral reflected by the straight glass facade of Haas House are a popular motif.
Hofburg
The Hofburg was orignially a medieval castle, but today only the castle chapel remembers of its medieval past. The Hofburg was extended to a magnificent residence when the Habsburg's power increased.
Karlskirche
Karlskirche is the biggest cathedral in Baroque style north of the Alps. Building commenced in 1715 following plans of famous Austrian Baroque architect Johann Fischer von Erlach.
Naschmarkt
There is quite a number of markets where you can buy fresh vegetable and asorted tidbits. But Naschmarkt is arguably more than that: it is a Viennese institution dating back to the 16th century.
Ring Boulevard
The Vienna Ring Boulevard is 4 kilometres long and circles the city centre. The construction of the Ring Boulevard was initiated by Emperor Franz Joseph I in December 1857.
Prater
The Prater is Vienna's most popular fun fair. Here one can enjoy a great view from the giant Ferris wheel, and one can do sports and relax in the area of forest land and fields.
Schönbrunn Palace
The Palace with its surrounding buildings and the huge park is one of the most significant cultural monuments in Austria. It was generally used as the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers.
Schönbrunn zoo
Schönbrunn Zoo is the world's oldest and only baroque zoo. The Schoenbrunn Zoo is situated in the south-eastern part of the Habsburgs' summer residence and was built in 1760.
Spanish Riding School
The Spanish Riding School is the oldest and last Riding School in the world where classic dressage is still practised in its purest form. This Institute was founded in 1572.
St. Stephen's Cathedral
St. Stephen's Cathedral is situated in the city centre, and for centuries it has been the heart of Vienna. It is one of the most famous Viennese sights and was built in 1147
Vienna Opera House (Oper)
The Vienna Opera House is situated in the frist district of Vienna at the southern end of the Kärntnerstrasse. August von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll built the Court Opera House from 1861 to 1869.
SALZBURG
The city is nestled between two mountains Kapuzinerberg and Mönchsberg and the River Salzach. It is a picturesque city with small alleyways, quaint colorful town houses, rich castles and palaces, with styled gardens and a large number of churches and monasteries.
The Fortress of Hohensalzburg, a 900 year old building which cannot be missed, is considered to be the most well-maintained Medieval Fortress in Europe.
St. Sebastian is the city's most impressive church, built in the Gothic style, with a well-tended cemetery. The city of Salzburg displays proof of the wealth and power of the Archbishop and the Catholic Church and is today home to approximately 150.000 inhabitants.
Salzburg is most certainly a city of music. It was the home and birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the memorial to him at the Mozart Square honours the city's most famous son. Salzburg has a long history of being a popular destination for musicians, harboured by the many Archbishops fondness for music. This city has retained its charm and character through the centuries. Today Salzburg is known for its annual cultural Festival (Salzburger Festspiele), which offers a variety of operas, concerts and theatrical plays, ranging from classical to contemporary styles. The city is also a very popular place to study for a solid musical or theatrical education and as a result, many students from around the world enrol at one of the many different schools in Salzburg every year.
GRAZ
The city's architecture is dominated largely by the struggle of the Reformists and the Habsburgs' Counter Reformation. Protestant buildings like the Landhaus and many different palaces encounter buildings like the old University, the Mausoleum and the Minoritenkirche, erected to represents strict Catholic beliefs. The Counter Reformation was very successful in placing Protestants in the minority, a trend which remains to the present day.
The most important example of Baroque architecture in Graz is without doubt the Schloss Eggenberg. A very significant landmark of the city is the romantic Uhrturm, a tower still using its original mechanism from 1712 and a traditional location for locals's first kiss. The fortress on the Schlossberg has had a big influence on the layout of the city and contains the largest collection of early modern weaponry and suits of armour to be found in Europe. In the 19th century Graz grew to be a large city and many buildings that are representative of this development e.g. the Karl-Franzens-University, the City Hall and the opera house were erected.
Today Graz is the second largest city in Austria and home to around 230.000 people. It offers a great deal of cultural opportunities, like the Styriade, an annual exhibition, dedicated to contemporary art, theatre and performance art.
BREGENZ
Today, Bregenz is home to around 27,000 people. With its location on the Bodensee and in the Alps it has bi-seasonal tourism with around 230,000 people from all around the world staying in the town. The economy is dominated by small businesses, especially in the textile industry.
The Upper town district is the oldest, with buildings from the 13th through to the 16th century. In this part of town you can still find parts of the original fortifying town walls. The Martin's Tower is the landmark of Bregenz, a building with a late Roman core and mainly baroque style architecture. The fresco in the chapel dates back to 1362. A further very impressive building is the gothic parish church of St. Gall, with a Roman-Romanesque foundation dating from before 1380 and a Baroque altar.
The biggest cultural event is the Bregenz Festival in the summer, with operas and plays, held on a stage build on the Bodensee itself.
KLAGENFURT
According to legend, the area around Klagenfurt was haunted by a special kind of dragon, a 'lindwurm'. A very brave man killed it and as a result Klagenfurt was founded.
Klagenfurt is Carinthia's capital. The main sights include a huge statue of the 'lindwurm' at the centre of the 'Neuer Platz', Klagenfurt's major square which also houses its city hall.
'Landhaus' is the seat of the Carinthian parliament and features an impressive hall adorned with ancient coats of arms.
The Klagenfurt cathedral is a spectacular building and is decorated in a baroque style. A simpler example of baroque architectur is the city's central parish church with a tower which serves as a highly visible landmark.
'Minimundus', is also a major attraction: houseing a collection of small scale models of famous buildings from all over the world (including the Eiffel tower, Taj Mahal, St. Peter's cathedral etc.)
Lake 'Wörthersee' and the town itself are connected by an artificial waterway: 'Lendkanal'.
Located nearby is the Romanesque Gurk cathedral, the impressive Hochosterwitz fortress and an astonishing number of smaller castles. |
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