Vienna Innere Stadt
Vienna, the capital city of Austria, became one of the cultural hubs of Europe during the 18th & 19th centuries through the arts, classical music, and opera. The Waltz and Viennese Balls were born here and Vienna’s city center became home to musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss.
Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elizabeth (Sisi) made the biggest changes to modernize Vienna in the 1800s replacing the Medieval wall with the Ringstrasse Boulevard, fixing up nearby palaces, and tearing down homes in the Old Town to make way for new grand buildings. During this transformation, the Austrian Empire and Kingdom of Hungary were merged and Vienna’s population quickly grew. Sisi is still renown and beloved throughout Hungary and there is a museum in her honor here in Vienna. She was very special and far ahead of her time.
Vienna is a must experience destination, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone give a negative review. The place to start your exploration, and get the “most bang for your buck” so you can see the most in a very compact area, is the “Innere Stadt” which translates to 'inner city.' This central neighborhood is the most iconic area of Vienna.
A great and easy way to see many of the most famous tourist attractions in one go is to wander along the Ringstrasse taking in all the fantastic buildings as you go, before heading into the center of this area itself. Kärntner Strasse high street is the main entrance of old town Vienna. It’s a lovely pedestrian area and full of street artists in the summer. Start with the Vienna State Opera House. https://www.literallytheworld.com/austria-blog/vienna-state-opera-house
Just a few of the sites, as a sampling, include the following:
“The Hofburg” Palace was the Habsburg dynasty's HQ for 700 years. Walking on cobbled streets with the many horse drawn carriages, it’s a step back in time. It’s guarded by 4 colossal Hercules statues that are fantastic. You’ll recognize it when you see the turquoise dome.
St Stephen’s Cathedral stands proud in the Stephensplatz and has been the most important church in Vienna and Austria since its construction. Mozart was married here in 1782. Everything about it is impressive – from the Romanesque and Gothic design of the exterior, to the dominating pointed tower, and the intricately decorated main roof complete with hundreds of colored tiles forming an intriguing pattern. Its huge tower dominates the Vienna skyline and stands as the tallest church tower in Austria.
Sacher Café is known for having the best slice of chocolate cake you can find anywhere. Their world-famous cake, known as the Original Sacher-Torte, was the creation of chef Franz Sacher who was asked to make a dessert for a Hapsburg royal party in 1832 while only 16 years old. Word of the Sacher’s amazing cake spread and he quickly became a household name.
AND there is so much more. The best way to get to know a location is to walk it. You will enjoy just wandering taking it all in. Did I mention that all of the inner city is a UNESCO World Heritage site? ENJOY the history, palaces, classical music venues, coffeehouses, restaurants, and high-end shopping. Be sure to take in all the architecture as well, you will find a mix of Medieval, Baroque, Historistic, Art Nouveau, Modernist and sleek contemporary sites. HAVE FUN!!
BTW…one of my most favorite restaurants that I highly recommend (see pics below) is ef16 Restaurant: https://www.ef16.net/
