Vienna
This capital city of Austria is a medley of ornamentation with a spirit of
art nouveau. Circling the old town (the Innere Stadt ) is the striking
revivalist architecture of the Ringstrasse Vienna’s main pathway. These
buildings range from the charming Opera House to the monumental Natural
History Museum.
Nestled throughout the city are the graceful art-nouveau buildings of great
architects Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos. The buildings are one of the many
remnants of the artistic and intellectual flowering that took place in
Vienna at the turn of the century.
Vienna is famous for its coffee houses. One of the best known is Hawelka,
on
Dorotheergasse. Vienna is famous for its golden epoch. It was an age of
exuberance. Great baroque palaces, churches and monuments dominated Vienna’s
architecture and still do
Fact File
Country : Austria
Official name : Vienna
Population : 1.6 million
Languages : German, English
Climate : Austria enjoys a temperate climate. Winters are
characterized by rain in the valleys and snow in mountains. Summer is rarely
oppressive as the weather remains cool with occasional showers, turning more
pleasant until October. May, early June, September and October are the best
months to visit as there are few tourists in restaurants and hotels.
Official Currency: Euro; 1 Euro = 52.443 Indian Rupee = 1.2047 US $(subject
to change)
Location : Vienna spreads along both sides of the “Blue”
at the very foothills of the Alps.
Getting
There
By Air : The Vienna Schwechat airport. Trains bound for the heart of
Vienna leave every half hour and are the most cost-effective way to cover
the 19 kilometer distance into town. Bus and taxi services are also
available. At the airport, shopping carts can be used for free but luggage
trolleys must be paid for. They accept coins in eight currencies but not
sterling or dollars. Facilities at the airport include Raiffeisen and Erste
banks in arrival, departure and transit halls; Bank Austria in departure
area; post office; ATMs; 24-hour left luggage facilities; showers;
conference and business centers for meetings.
By Trains : The ‘Wolkersdorf railway station’ is the
railhead in the city and makes the city accessible from various parts of
Austria and the rest of the Europe.
Getting Around
By Road : Buses, trams, taxis are available in the city to provide a
comfortable movement within in the city.
Accommodation
The city offers extremely good hotels for a convinient stay for the
tourists. Here is list of some of the hotels in the country:
5 star hotel in the city:
Austria Trend Hotel Schloss
Starlight Suiten Hotel
Hotel Allstadt Vienna
4 star hotel in the city:
Hotel Koenig von Ungarn
Hotel Imperial Vienna
Neuer Markt Pension
3 star hotel in the city:
Best Westen hotel Rosenvilla
Hotel Bristol, a Westin hotel
Hotel Sofitel Vienna
Major Tourist attractions
Anchor
Clock (Ankeruhr) : Built between 1911 and 1917, the Anchor Clock was
constructed after the plans of the painter Franz von Matsch. It is situated
on the oldest square of Vienna and represents a typical Art Nouveau design.
Belvedere Palace : The two magnificient palaces on the Belvedere
grounds are locatd in the middle of a splendid park. The palaces were built
for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt who was a renowned
Baroque architect.
Burgtheater (National Theatre) : In 1741 Empress Maria Theresia
handed an unused dance-house over to the theatre-company Sellier whuch is
now used as a theatre.
Danube Tower : To enjoy a fantastic view over Vienna this is the
right place to go. It is also known as "Concrete needle" and is
352 meters high and was built within 20 months!
Haas House : Haas House is one of the most sensational buildings in
Vienna and the city's dignity. Images of St. Stephen's Cathedral reflected
by the straight glass facade of Haas House are a popular figure.
