Vienna, Austria

Vienna is a city with a very high quality of life, a feature that is highly appreciated by the many visitors who come to the Austrian capital. The Vienna Tourist Board provides comprehensive information about sights, hotels and leisure activities in Vienna to give visitors a structured overview of the many events and attractions in the city.

Schönbrunn Palace, the former imperial summer residence, is one of Vienna's most popular sights. The sumptuous palace with its beautifully tended formal gardens, the Gloriette monument, Palm House and zoo attracts hordes of visitors each year. Then there is the huge Hofburg (Imperial Palace), which was the base of the Habsburgs for over six centuries.

The splendid baroque Belvedere Palace today houses the Österreichische Galerie (Austrian Gallery), displaying the largest collection of works by Klimt and Kokoschka, as well as famous paintings by Schiele. Vienna’s prime landmarks are the gothic Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), the giant big wheel in the Prater (Vienna’s old recreational park), and the Spanish Riding School with its famous Lipizzaner horses.

In the heart of Vienna, 200m from the State Opera, you'll find a unique, tropical oasis - the Imperial Butterfly House. In one of the world's most beautiful Art Nouveau palm houses you can admire around 400 live, free flying butterflies all year round. Absorb the colours and grace with which they float through the air, past waterfalls and exotic plants, in an environment as true to nature as possible.

Vienna has more museums and galleries of international reputation than you can shake a stick at. Take, for example, the Museum of Fine Arts with the world’s largest collection of Bruegel paintings, MuseumsQuartier with the Leopold Museum, the Museum Moderner Kunst (Museum of Modern Art), Architekturzentrum (Architectural Center) and the Kunsthalle, all ranking among the city's most important cultural venues.

Hohensalzburg Fortress, the landmark of Salzburg, is Central Europe’s largest intact fortress and offers fantastic views of the city. Visit the Princely Residence, a magnificent early baroque edifice with splendid halls and a gallery featuring European paintings dating between the 16th and 19th century. The nearby vast Salzburg Dom is without doubt the main attraction of the old town. Inside there is the Romanesque font where Mozart was baptized.

Take time out to visit Mozart's Geburtshaus, the place where the genial composer was born on 27th January 1756. The house is located in Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s most attractive and most visited shopping street with its high and narrow houses and romantic courtyards. Another highlight is Mirabell Palace with its splendid gardens built by the baroque master builder Lukas von Hildebrandt.

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