Viennese wine & Heurige

  

Vienna is the only metropolis that grows enough wine within its city limits to make it worth mentioning. 700 hectares of Viennese vineyards leave their mark on the cityscape and its culture of pleasure. Wine growing has a long tradition in Vienna. White wines are grown in 80 percent of the vineyards, with the Wiener Gemischter Satz being a specialty. Nowadays, Vienna presents itself as a city with a lively wine scene. Viennese wine is enjoyed in the city's many bars and restaurants or on the edge of town in wine taverns that offer wine from their own vineyards and buffet tables piled high with home-made delicacies.

The Viennese Heurige

They are as famous as the Giant Ferris Wheel, Schönbrunn Palace, the Vienna Boys Choir or the Lipizzaner.

The real Viennese “heurige” or wine taverns. Numerous songs have been dedicated to them; they have served as a backdrop for many films. However, in the legendary comfortable atmosphere, they primarily offer the Viennese and their guests entertainment, fine Viennese wines and the fitting culinary accompaniment. A place in which to feel good, in which everyone is warmly welcome. The real Viennese heurige, in which only Viennese wines are served, are identified by a bunch of pine branches and by the word “Ausg’steckt” written on a board, which simultaneously shows when the tavern is open.

However, the word “heurige” does not just describe the tavern itself, but also the wine from the current vintage, which – in accordance with tradition - may be so-called until 11 November (St Martin’s Day). Alongside the pleasant wine by the glass, the Viennese heurige also offer their guests fine wines sold in “bouteillen” (0.75 litre bottles), reflecting the richness of the variety and the special Viennese climate, and corresponding glass and tableware. And sometimes, with a little luck, “live music” can even be heard in the secluded gardens or homely parlours...

  

  

Viennese cuisine

A true bon vivant will know that Viennese Cuisine is the only cuisine in the world to be named after a city. Viennese chefs draw on influences from various countries to conjure up exciting dishes that never fail to capture the imagination.

  

Restaurants in the Old City

At every turn in the Old City you will find Viennese cuisine just as it is meant to be served, with traditional meals ranging from schnitzels to goulash.

  

Bitzinger's Augustinerkeller

At the heart of Vienna, directly beneath the Albertina, you can indulge in traditional Viennese cuisine, delectable Austrian wines and Vienna’s own Heuriger music. Be it in the historic basement vault or the stylish vinotheque: Your pleasure is our business!

  

Figlmüller

Figlmüller is celebrated for its fabulous schnitzel and has symbolised Vienna’s incomparable lifestyle for over 110 years. Young and old alike enjoy meeting at this restaurant to savor its Viennese cuisine and quality wines.

  

First by Rosenberger

The market restaurant offering classic Viennese dishes, Italian pasta, steaks, grilled delicacies, and an all-you-can-eat buffet. 1 main dish for a parent = 1 free child’s meal!

Viennese nightlife

Vienna's club scene is all about parties with music of the highest quality. Electronic music from Vienna is known for creating an international sensation - and with good reason. The parties range from chic to underground. Clubs such as Flex have already attained cult status. The program there is just as varied as at the city's other party venues.

  

The establishments under the arches of the former Stadtbahn railway along the Gürtel, such as Chelsea, B72 and Rhiz, have been fixed features of Vienna's nightlife scene for years. Flex, Grelle Forelle and Werk are just some of the clubs that make up the party area by the Danube Canal, which is joined by numerous beach bars in the summer. Night-owls also make their rounds on the Ringstrasse: at the Volksgarten Disco, Säulenhalle, Babenberger Passage and Albertina Passage as well as at the Platzhirsch.

Albertina Passage

The dinner club at the Vienna State Opera offers sophisticated cuisine, live jazz music and DJ sounds in a futuristic ambience.

  

A former pedestrian underpass now shines with a new glow as a chic dinner club. The Albertina Passage is an exciting combination of top-class dining, classic American bar and club with live music. The food has a focus on light, Asian-inspired cuisine.

Dancing, drinks & club

The refined seating niches are grouped around a stage on which live music with a focus on jazz is played on Fridays and Saturdays from 10.00 pm. When DJs take over the music program in the Albertina Passage, guests can also dance to their heart's delight. Special eye-catchers are the futuristically curved cocktail bar as well as the stage and walls, which can be illuminated in a wide range of colors. The venue has space for around 300 visitors.

Club Schwarzenberg

The club on Schwarzenbergplatz promises a party feeling and entertainment of the highest standard.

 

A club in the style to be found in the party metropolis of Ibiza was the goal of the host at the new Club Schwarzenberg. The premises of a former movie theater was given a chic makeover. Club Schwarzenberg now presents itself on the highest level, both architecturally and as far as the sound and lighting systems are concerned. 46 LED light rings create a visual experience. The enormous room height even makes it possible for artists to perform acrobatic stunts at lofty heights on occasion.

The music focuses on R’n’B, hiphop and house. The club aims to appeal to a crowd between 20 and 40 years of age, which is why admission is restricted on some days to the over-20s only. VIP tables can be booked in the gallery and come with special extras such as an ice cube dispenser and secure cell phone charging stations.

Volksgarten Club Disco

The disco in Vienna city center is actually set in the midst of a wonderful garden. The Volksgarten Club Disco has a long history and has survived as a hotspot of Viennese party culture for decades, despite the fast-moving club culture.

 

When locals go "to the Volksgarten", they are not normally talking about the park, but about a disco. And not just any disco, but one of the best locations, which has been a fixed point of the city for decades. The history of the Volksgarten Club Disco goes back over 180 years. Today, the extensive establishment around the architecturally attractive glass pavilion offers both open-air and indoor nights with international greats of the party culture scene.

After renovations, the winter garden captures a special flair, featuring original furniture from the 1950s. The open-plan interior conveys a cozy feeling, with palms, Thonet furniture and old chandeliers. The music consists of house, disco and party hits.

The former Volksgarten Banane, an addition to the disco, is now managed as an independent club under the name "Säulenhalle".

Vienna. Experience design & gourmet

Big name architects including Adolf Loos, Eichinger oder Knechtl, Sir Terence Conran, Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal have created bars and restaurants in Vienna that are well worth a visit thanks to their design alone!

  

Vienna has a long tradition of bars and restaurants with unusual interior designs. The Loos Bar is a classic example. A century ago Viennese architect and modernist pioneer Adolf Loos created a timeless atmosphere with his compact American Bar.

The British star designer Sir Terence Conran is responsible for the interior design of the Brasserie & Bakery in The Guesthouse Vienna, where he has emphasized the décor to be found in traditional Austrian establishments of the early part of the 20^th century. The restaurant’s armchairs were made according to designs by the famous post-war architect Oswald Haerdtl. All of the brass items, including the coat stands, come from the Carl Auböck Workshop in Vienna.

Given its location at the Architekturzentrum Wien in the MuseumsQuartier, quality architecture is must for Café Restaurant Corbaci. French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal have based their philosophy around the intelligent treatment of a minimalist approach to using materials, and this is plain to see at Corbaci. The mosaic ceiling work from Turkish artist Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier provides a suitable contrast to the minimalist architecture elsewhere.

Eichinger oder Knechtl have also produced a convincing solution for Unger und Klein, a cross between a wine store and bar. A long, curved wine shelf dominates the bar, clearly showing that the wine is the central attraction, and helps with orientation and storage. Here, aesthetics and culinary enjoyment go hand in hand.

The Viennese architecture office BEHF has already made its mark on a large number of restaurants in the city. At the refined Japanese restaurant Shiki, the architects from BEHF have included many individual details – from the hand-made and hand-painted Japanese paper ceiling in the brasserie to the wall painted with piano lacquer in the fine dining room.

Restaurant Steirereck is not only one of the best restaurants in the world but also plays every visual trick there is. The team of architects from PPAG opened up the restaurant towards the Stadtpark. The park is reflected in the metal external façades, the windows can be opened outward and upward in fine weather. That creates a feeling of modern airiness inside, as do the floor made from Danube pebbles and the light oak paneling.

The stylish interior of the Asian restaurant Market near Naschmarkt is by Birgit Eschenlor. A central eye-catcher is the giant flower lamp by the artist Robert Thierry. The architect masterfully places colored accents using textile artworks.

 

 

Vienna. Theater an der Wien

  

Theater an der Wien specializes in the very finest of Baroque and classical operas and in modern aesthetics. As a seasonal opera house, there is a premiere almost every month as well as concertante operas and concerts.

The Theater an der Wien starts its thirteenth season with the 2018/19 season. This brings nine premieres to the house: first up is Handel's Alcina with Marlis Petersen in the leading role. Gioachino Rossini's opera Guillaume Tell from 1829 follows in October. In November, another work by Georg Friedrich Händel celebrates its premiere: Teseo. Great romantic opera is presented in December: Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber tests the loyalty of women.

From Handel to Weber

Henry Purcell's King Arthur starts the year 2019, followed in February by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's oratorio Elias. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky has taken on Schiller's tragedy of the same name, Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans) - to be experienced in March. April is filled for the third time with a work by Handel: Orlando. The romantic fairy opera Oberon once again puts the composer Carl Maria von Weber in the spotlight. Mauro Peter sings Oberon, Annette Dasch sings Rezia.

Ten operas by Handel, Salieri and Tchaikovsky, for example, will be performed in concert; stars such as Vivica Genaux and Franco Fagioli will sing. Elisabeth Kulmán and seven top musicians will present her song recital La Femme c'est Moi on November 20.

The Young Ensemble of the Theater an der Wien can be experienced in the Kammeroper, the second performance venue of Theater an der Wien.

 

Vienna. New Year's Eve Concerts

In Vienna, Johann Strauss' operetta "Die Fledermaus" belongs to New Year's Eve like the New Year's Concert of the Philharmonic belongs to the first day of the year. The change of year can also be musically shaped with romantic opera, Beethoven or musical sounds.

  

Two opera houses perform the popular operetta "Die Fledermaus" over the New Year period: The Volksoper (December 31 and January 1) and the Vienna State Opera (December 31, January 1, 3 and 5). Annette Dasch, Olga Bezsmertna, Herbert Lippert and Adrian Eröd sing here in alternation; Burgtheater actor Peter Simonischek plays the role of Frosch. The best: The State Opera Fledermaus will be screened live on Karajan Platz on the video wall in front of the Opera House from 7.00 pm, where it can be watched for free. From 2.00 pm and after the Fledermaus, an opera potpourri will be shown until 2.00 am in the morning. The performance is also available on the livestreaming channelof the Vienna State Opera.

At Theater an der Wien, opera fans can ring out the year with the grand romantic opera Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber from 1823. The exciting production is by Christof Loy.

Beethoven and Strauss at the Konzerthaus

The Wiener Konzerthaus presents a packed musical New Year's program: The Wiener Symphoniker brings the year to a close with Beethoven's 9th Symphony conducted by Andres Oroczo-Estrada (December 30 and 31, January 1). In addition to this festive program, things continue in buoyant mood in the Grand Hall with Waltz of the World, the New Year's Gala of the Wiener KammerOrchester, Aleksey Igudesman and other guests on December 31.

The Strauss Festival Orchestra performs Viennese sound paintings by Josef Lanner, Franz von Suppé, Johann, Josef and Eduard Strauss, Carl Michael Ziehrer and Johann Schrammel on the topic of "Art and Nature" (December 28 and 29, January 1).

Not just classical

Musical variety, mixed with a big dose of comedy, is promised by the New Year's Eve evening at the MuTh – Concert Hall of the Vienna Boys' Choir: The best to finish with: The Flying Schnörtzenbrekkers. Three gentlemen with voice, double bass, violin and accordion mercilessly target Ivica Strauss - an invented member of the Strauss dynasty.

The musicals Bodyguard and I am from Austria offer New Year's Eve guests an entertaining program for the change of year.

Those seeking a combination of music and party simply have to follow the New Year's Eve Trailthrough the Old City.

 

Venna. New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic

The Vienna Philharmonic gives its annual New Year's Concert in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. The whole world looks on and joins in the celebrations of the first day of the new year.

  

Fascinating Strauss sounds

The New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic combines the best of the best: The cheerfully lively, but also somewhat reflective program of music with compositions by the Strauss dynasty and its contemporaries, ensures a good start to the still young year. The most Viennese music ever written is performed, from the waltz to the polka, interpreted with artistically value.

Program (Jan. 1, 2019)

• Carl Michael Ziehrer: Schönfeld March, op. 422
• Josef Strauss: Transactionen (Transactions). Walzer, op.184
• Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.: Elfenreigen (Dance of the Elves)
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Express. Polka schnell, op. 311, Nordseebilder (North Sea Pictures). Walzer, op. 390
• Eduard Strauss: Mit Extrapost (Special Delivery). Polka schnell, op. 259

- break -

• Johann Strauss Jr.: Ouvertüre zur Operette "Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron)"
• Josef Strauss: Die Tänzerin (The Dancer). Polka française, op. 227
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Künstlerleben (An Artist’s Life). Walzer, op. 316, Die Bajadere (The Bayadere). Polka schnell, op. 351
• Eduard Strauss: Opern-Soiree (Opera Soirée). Polka française, op. 162
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Eva-Walzer (Eva Waltz). Nach Motiven aus "Ritter Pásmán", Csárdás aus "Ritter Pásmán", op. 441, Egyptischer Marsch (Egyptian March), op. 335
• Josef Hellmesberger, Jr.: Entr'acte Valse
• Johann Strauss Jr.: Lob der Frauen (In Praise of Women). Polka mazur, op. 315
• Josef Strauss: Sphärenklänge (Music of the Spheres). Walzer, op. 235

Musical ambassadors of Austria

The musicians play right at the top of the league of leading international orchestras - they are the Vienna Philharmonic. The conductors are also amongst the best in the world. A different conductor is invited each year, including Mariss Jansons (2016), Gustavo Dudamel (2017), Riccardo Muti (2018) and Christian Thielemann (2019).

The New Year's Concert is held in the Musikverein, the center of classical music for music fans in Vienna. The Grand Hall is also called the Golden Hall. It is considered to be not only one of the most beautiful halls in the world, but also one of the best in terms of acoustics. For the New Year's Concert, the hall, which is built in the historical style based on the model of antiquity, is decorated with wonderful flower arrangements. Columns, caryatids and gable reliefs create the impression that a temple of music has been created here.

 

New Year’s Eve 2018/19 in Vienna

  

At the change of year, the whole of Vienna is given over to partying and dancing. The New Year’s Eve Trail in the Old City is the highlight. A great ambience can be enjoyed as much at a gala dinner or festive ball as it can at a concert, the opera, in a hip club or a sophisticated bar.

Superb exhibitions and a dazzling array of events, concerts, operas, operettas and the hit musicals "Bodyguard" and "I am from Austria" promise a New Year's Eve program brimming with excitement throughout the day and night.

On December 31, Vienna's old city center transforms into a giant party zone: From 2 p.m. in the afternoon to 2 a.m. the following morning, top entertainment is guaranteed by the New Year's Eve Trail in the city center, at City Hall Square and in the Prater. Along the New Year's Eve Trail, dozens of gastronomes serve you punch and culinary treats. Numerous areas provided entertainment with show programs, waltzes, operetta, rock, pop, DJ lines and hit music. The classical area on Graben is a popular fixture. Vienna's dance schools offer crash waltz dancing courses here during the afternoon and transform Graben into an idyllic open-air ballroom. A large firework display will be held on City Hall Square and in the Prater at midnight.

A unique New Year's atmosphere can also be enjoyed on a boat trip along the Danube, at the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Hofburg Vienna (Imperial Palace) and at New Year galas held in City Hall and the city's leading hotels. The "Majestic Imperator", a a luxurious imperial, invites everyone to go on an exclusive ride into the new year, while "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss is performed in time-honored tradition at the Vienna State Opera and also broadcast live on the outdoor screen.

New Year's Day in Vienna will be greeted in classic fashion with a morning "hangover cure" brunch - featuring a live broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert on a big screen - in front of City Hall (from 10 a.m.)

 

 

Vienna, the City of Music

Welcome to the world’s music capital! More famous composers have lived here than in any other city – in Vienna, music is literally in the air: Waltzes and operettas have their home here, and so do musicals "made in Vienna," which have conquered international audiences.

The city’s concert halls and stages offer the whole range from classical to progressive sounds with end-to-end festivals the whole year through. Opera fans will meet international stars here and jazz lovers will find a pulsating jazz scene. Pop and rock concerts provide unforgettable live music experiences.

Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world – where you can enjoy the very best in first-class productions.

This famous stage offers a different program every day, with over 60 operas and ballet works on around 300 days per season.

150 years of the Vienna State Opera

The repertoire of the State Opera ranges from the Baroque to the 21st century, with a focus on the 19th century. The 2018/19 season is marked by a big anniversary: The Vienna State Opera celebrates "150 years of the Opera House on the Ring". On 25 May, 2019 there will be a ceremony and the premiere of Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow). This opera premiered here 100 years ago; Camilla Nylund, Nina Stemme, Evelyn Herlitzius, Stephen Gould and Wolfgang Koch now shine in the new production conducted by Christian Thielemann.

On May 26, everyone is invited to join in the celebration - at a festival on the square in front of the Opera House. In addition, there are two exhibitions (at the opera and in the Theatre Museum), streamings and a few other surprises.

Another five opera premieres are highlights of the season:

• Les Troyens / Hector Berlioz
• Die Weiden /Johannes Maria Staud (music), Durs Grünbein (text) – world premiere
• Lucia di Lammermoor / Gaetano Donizetti
• Orest / Manfred Trojahn
• Otello / Giuseppe Verdi

Audience members can individually switch on subtitles – in German, English, Italian, French, Russian and Japanese. The 2,021 displays at the seats also offer information about the cast and contents of the performance (German or English). By the way: The subtitles can be integrated manually by clicking a button, since all performances have different pacing.

Vienna Opera Ball: High point of the ball season

At the Vienna Opera Ball, the Vienna State Opera is transformed into the world’s most famous ballroom. The committee, consisting of approximately 150 pairs of young men and women in white ball gowns and tails, ensures a glamorous opening of the Opera Ball.

Opera live outdoors

In April, May, June, September and December, more than 80 opera and ballet performances will be screened live on Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz in front of the opera building on a 50 m² screen - it's classical enjoyment for free!

Vienna. Museums

Vienna has more than 100 museums. These include important collections of world renown as well as small establishments that impress with original exhibits. Artists of the century, such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, meet the stars of contemporary Vienna.

Leading museums

House of Austrian History

Exactly a hundred years after the founding of the First Republic on November 12, 1918, the House of Austrian History opens in Vienna. It is housed in the Neue Burg on Heldenplatz. On a total area of 1,800 m², it vividly depicts the creation of Austria, from the Habsburg monarchy, through the First Republic, annexation to the Third Reich and founding of the Second Republic down to the present day.

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Art History Museum)

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) was built in 1891 near the Imperial Palace to house the extensive collections of the imperial family. With its vast array of eminent works and the largest Bruegel collection in the world, it is considered one of the most eminent museums in the world.

Numerous major art works of European art history, among them Raphael’s "Madonna in the Meadow," Vermeer’s "The Allegory of Painting," the Infanta paintings by Velazquez, masterworks by Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Titian and Tintoretto are housed in the paintings gallery. The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection contains fascinating treasures from mysterious cultures long past.

Albertina

The Albertina not only has the largest and most valuable graphical collections in the world, with works such as Dürer’s “Hare” and Klimt's studies of women. Its latest exhibition collection presents masterpieces of the Modern, spanning Monet to Picasso and Baselitz. As the largest Habsburg residential palace, the Albertina dominates the southern tip of the Imperial Palace on one of the last remaining fortress walls in Vienna.

Vienna. Ringstrasse boulevard monuments

Numerous monuments along the Ringstrasse boulevard honor historical personalities.

Warlords, rulers, emperors, composers and leading poets line the Ringstrasse. For the great men and women of Austrian and European history, a spot on the most beautiful boulevard in the world was only just good enough. The largest memorial is for Maria Theresia between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Museum of Natural History. It was unveiled personally by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1888.

The most often photographed memorial is probably the Johann Strauss Monument in the Stadtpark. The two imposing knight’s statues on Heldenplatz are those of Archduke Carl and Prince Eugene of Savoy. Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe are located between the Opera and the Burggarten.

Empress Sisi was immortalized in the Volksgarten, while her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph, was carved in stone in the Burggarten. There is also a statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart there. A memorial for General Johann Joseph Wenzel Graf Radetzky was built in front of the former Ministry of War on the Stubenring.

Near the Parliament, there is the Monument of the Republic, which was proclaimed on the Ringstrasse in front of the Parliament in 1918. And Prince Karl Philipp von Schwarzenberg is immortalized on Schwarzenbergplatz. The Heroes’ Monument to the Red Army, also located on Schwarzenbergplatz, commemorates the approximately 17,000 soldiers who fell in the battle of Vienna in 1945.

                  

Imperial Vienna: Silver Collection, Imperial Treasury, National Library

Imperial Silver Collection

The Imperial Silver Collection in the Imperial Palace provides insights into the court dining culture of the former imperial dynasty.

Valuable porcelain and crystal glasses, magnificent centerpieces and services, as well as simple kitchenware made from copper can be seen in the Imperial Silver Collection. The most impressive exhibit is the 30 meter-long "Milan centerpiece", which was created for the coronation of Emperor Ferdinand I as king of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia in 1838.

Also on view are porcelain from East Asia, from Sèvres (a gift from Louis XV of France to Maria Theresa) and from Vienna, as well as panoramic plates, glazed earthenware, gold- and silverware. This includes the Vienna court table silver and the gold-plated "Vermeil service", an extensive showpiece service for 140 people.

Imperial Treasury Vienna

The most important treasury in the world is home to two imperial crowns as well as the Burgundian treasure and the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation is the highlight of the collection: Created in the second half of the 10th century, it was used to crown the empire's emperors. The octagonal crown was highly symbolic and is decorated with numerous biblical references.

The second important crown in the Imperial Treasury is the Austrian imperial crown. It was made in 1602 as a private crown for Emperor Rudolf II. (1552-1612). From 1804, it acted as the crown of the newly created Austrian Empire. However, it was never used to crown an Austrian emperor.

Austrian National Library, State Hall

The State Hall, the heart of the Austrian National Library, is one of the most beautiful library halls in the world. It is the biggest Baroque library in Europe.

The former Court Library was created in the first half of the 18th century as a private wing of the Hofburg imperial residence. Emperor Karl VI. ordered its construction. The library was built by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach according to plans of his father, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

The impressive state hall of the library is almost 80 m long and 20 m high and is crowned by a dome that is magnificently decorated with frescoes by the court painter Daniel Gran. More than 200,000 volumes are exhibited here, among them the comprehensive library of Prince Eugene of Savoy as well as one of the largest collections of Martin Luther’s writings from the Reformation Era.

Among the exhibits are two exquisite Venetian baroque globes: one for the earth and one for the sky, each with a diameter of more than one meter.

Vienna. Hofburg - Imperial Palace

Vienna's Imperial Palace is one of the biggest palace complexes in the world. The oldest parts date to the 13th century, with construction having continued right into the 20th century. The Imperial Palace was the residence and seat of government of the Habsburg emperors until 1918. Today, it is home to numerous museums with outstanding collections, the Spanish Riding School, a congress center, the seat of the Austrian Federal President as well as the historic Heldenplatz.

The Imperial Apartments

Visitors can explore the private and official chambers of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth in the imperial apartments inside Vienna's Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace in Vienna served as the residence and workplace of the imperial family until the end of the monarchy in 1918. The chambers of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth can be visited. The tour leads through 24 rooms, from the imperial staircase, through audience rooms and studies, to the living rooms and bedrooms of their majesties. Emperor Franz Joseph and "Sisi" lived here with their children and the entire court.

The rooms are in the Rococo style, with rich stucco work, magnificent chandeliers made from Bohemian crystal and tiled stoves made from ceramic. Highlights of the tour are the dressing-cum-exercise room and the bathroom of the empress. Sisi spent most of her time in the exercise room. Her day began here at six o'clock in the morning with the daily hairdressing ritual. The exercise equipment installed here, such as the wall bars, high bar and rings in the door frame, are still retained. The dining room with its opulently laid table is also impressive.

Sisi Museum

Beautiful and celebrated Empress Elisabeth has long since become a cult figure. The Sisi Museum in the Imperial Apartments of the Imperial Palace compares the myth and the facts. Among the highlights are numerous personal objects once owned by Elisabeth as well as the most famous portraits of the beautiful empress.

Elisabeth’s private life is at the center of the exhibition: her rebellion against court ceremony, her escape into a beauty cult, her obsession with being slim, athletic performance, and effusive poetry. The show focuses on Elisabeth's private life, her rebellion against the court ceremonial, her flight into beauty, sporting excellence, travel and rapturous poetry. From the carefree time as a young girl in Bavaria to the surprising engagement with the Austrian emperor to her 1898 assassination in Geneva, the museum shows the restless life of the legendary empress.

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien     (Art History Museum)

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) was built in 1891 near the Imperial Palace to house the extensive collections of the imperial family. With its vast array of eminent works and the largest Bruegel collection in the world, it is considered one of the most eminent museums in the world.

Numerous major art works of European art history, among them Raphael’s "Madonna in the Meadow," Vermeer’s "The Allegory of Painting," the Infanta paintings by Velazquez, masterworks by Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Titian and Tintoretto are housed in the paintings gallery. The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection contains fascinating treasures from mysterious cultures long past.