Vienna (population 1.9 million) was the capital of the Habsburg Empire for six centuries — one of the most influential dynasties in European history. The city it left behind is extraordinary: the Ringstrasse boulevard lined with neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance, and neo-Baroque palaces built in a single generation (1857–1914), a coffeehouse culture listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage register, and a concentration of art museums that rivals any city in the world.
The Ringstrasse and Imperial Vienna
Emperor Franz Joseph I ordered the demolition of Vienna’s old city walls in 1857 and replaced them with the Ringstrasse — a 5.3km circular boulevard lined with the major public buildings of the empire: the Kunsthistorisches Museum (art history museum — one of the world’s five greatest art museums; the Habsburg collection includes Vermeer, Raphael, Bruegel, Cellini, and the world’s finest collection of Velázquez), the Naturhistorisches Museum (natural history — meteorites, the Venus of Willendorf), the Burgtheater (German-language theatre, the most prestigious in the German-speaking world), the Parliament (neo-Greek), the Rathaus (neo-Gothic city hall), the Staatsoper (State Opera — one of the world’s premier opera houses, 300 performances per season; standing-room tickets €3–5 available 80 minutes before each performance). Schönbrunn Palace: the Habsburg summer palace — 1,441 rooms, UNESCO World Heritage, the most visited tourist site in Austria. The palace garden is free; the interior requires tickets. The Gloriette on the hill above offers the best view of the palace and the city behind it. The Belvedere: two Baroque palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere) set in formal gardens — the Upper Belvedere houses Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (1908), arguably the most recognisable painting in Austria. Also significant Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka collections. The Spanish Riding School: the Lipizzaner stallions performing classical dressage in the Winter Riding Hall of the Hofburg Palace — one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the world (founded 1572).
Coffeehouse Culture and Practical Vienna
The Viennese coffeehouse (Kaffeehaus): listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity register since 2011. The defining characteristics: you can sit for hours on a single coffee without being moved on; the waiter brings a glass of water with every coffee (and refills it); newspapers are available on long wooden holders; the menu offers a complex taxonomy of coffee preparations. Key coffeehouse preparations: Melange (half espresso, half steamed milk — the Viennese equivalent of a cappuccino); Einspänner (double espresso in a glass topped with Schlagobers — unsweetened whipped cream); Verlängerter (espresso extended with hot water — an Americano). The historic coffeehouses: Café Central (Herrengasse — the meeting place of Trotsky, Freud, and Herzl before 1914; the grand Historicist architecture); Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse — the 20th-century literary and artist gathering point, Buchteln pastries on weekends); Café Schwarzenberg (Kärntner Ring — the oldest surviving coffeehouse on the Ringstrasse, 1861). Practical: Vienna’s public transport (U-Bahn + trams) is excellent and integrated — a 24-hour pass costs €8. The Vienna City Card includes transport and museum discounts. The best neighbourhood for non-tourist food: the Naschmarkt (open-air market, Monday–Saturday) and the surrounding streets of Mariahilfer Strasse and Neubau district. Vienna’s classical music scene: the Vienna Philharmonic, the Konzerthaus, and the Musikverein (the Golden Hall — where the New Year’s Concert is broadcast globally) all offer tickets; the cheapest way in is the standing room at the Staatsoper or student rush tickets.
