Vienna, the capital of Austria, lies along the Danube River. It is a regal city, attesting to its lofty position as the seat of government for the Holy Roman Empire for hundreds of years. Although the country of Austria has made some dubious and, as it turns out, poor decisions over the years, the city of Vienna has emerged relatively unscathed and still elegant.

       Because of its central location, Vienna also makes a great base of operations for explorations of nearby Hungary and Slovakia.

        Let’s begin a chronicle of the city sights at the city palace, Hofburg. This complex of numerous buildings takes a full day to explore.

Hofburg

             Another fabulous city Chateau is Belvedere Palace, now a museum of Austrian history.

Belvedere Palace

             Of course, Vienna is famous for waltzes, courtesy of the “Waltz King”, Johann Strauss II. There is a lovely statue of the master in Stadtpark, along the city’s ring road.

Strauss Memorial

Stephansdom

A more modern attraction in Vienna is Hundertwasserhaus, an eco-friendly and very unusual apartment complex.

Hundertwasserhaus

One of the world’s most accoustically-perfect concert halls is located in Vienna. Golden Hall, known locally as the Musikverein, is a great place to hear a Mozart concert.

Musikverein

      On the outskirts of the city is the Summer Palace of Viennese royalty, Schonbrunn, a Versailles-like chateau.

Schonbrunn

The grounds and gardens are particularly lovely, with an impressive Gloriette on a hill at the rear.

Schonbrunn's Gloriette