Top 6 Things to See in Vienna, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace is the summer palace of the Austrian Habsburg royal family. It is now Vienna's most famous tourist attraction, and the story of Princess Sisi takes place in this palace.

In 1617, during a hunt, Emperor Matthias discovered the "Schönbrunn" near the hunting lodge, and gave the order to build the palace, known as the "Schönbrunn Palace". It is known for its majestic palace and flowery garden.

There are 1441 rooms in the current Schönbrunn Palace, 45 of which are open to tourist viewing. The palace is primarily Baroque style, while 44 rooms are in Rococo style. It is recommended to enter from the main entrance, tour the palace, then enter the garden, stroll to the Triumphal Arch on the Schönbrunn Mount to get an overhead view of the palace.

Stephansdom is the second-tallest Gothic minaret church in Europe, with a spire 137 m high, second only to Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Standing in front of this church, the strongest feeling is awe, not only from the church’s towering appearance, but also from every detail that catches the eye.

The cathedral was built at the end of the 12th century. The original building was built in 1147 in a Romanesque style. Later, after two fires, it was rebuilt as a Gothic building in the 14th century. It was bombarded by the Turks and during the Second World War. It was rebuilt after the war to the scale of today.

The central spire of the big tower is surrounded by countless sculpted small spires, like a dazzling crown being worn by Vienna. Every once in a while, the clock tower will ring a resonant bell. It is located in the center of Vienna, so it is also known as the "Heart of Vienna".

The Hofburg Wien was once the Winter Palace of the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg imperial dynasty. It covers an area of 240,000 m² and has the reputation of being a city within a city. From 1275 to 1913, after many reconstructions and rebuilding, it finally evolved into this maze of 18 buildings, 19 courtyards, and more than 2900 rooms.

Today it is the office of the Bundespräsident der Bundesrepublik. It is a "witness" of various European architectural styles, whether it is Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, or Rococo, the Hofburg Imperial Palace brings them all together. The Silverware Museum, the Sisi Museum, and the Royal Residence in the palace are must-see places.

Known as the "Center of the Opera World", the Wiener Staatsoper is one of the most famous opera houses in the world and the main symbol of Vienna the music capital. The world's most famous singers feel honored to be able to perform here (and not in the Golden Hall).

The entire theater covers an area of 9,000 m², there are six levels of audience seats, and more than 100 private booths on the third floor. The big front gatehouse has five arched doors and five arched windows on the upper floor. The bronze statues of five opera goddesses stand in the windows, representing heroism, drama, imagination, art and love in opera.

The Golden Hall (Goldenr Saal Wiener Musikvereins) is one of the most influential concert halls in the world. It is also known as one of the world's five major concert halls along with the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Boston Symphony Hall. The famous Vienna New Year Concert is held here.

The Wiener Musikverein, where the Golden Hall is located, was built in 1867 and is an Italian Renaissance style building. The architectural style of the Golden Hall is magnificent and the acoustics are great. To attend the concert here, the ticket price varies from €30 to €200 depending on the seating class and the performer's popularity.

The Stadtpark was ordered to be built by Franz Joseph I as the first park open to ordinary people along the Ringstraße. The park spans the banks of the Vienna River and is connected by bridges. The Stadtpark is the park in Vienna with the most memorials and statues. Among these, the most widely known is the gold-plated statue of Johann Strauss II.