Vienna

Music,History and Architecture: Vienna

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is one of Europe's most important cities, hosting unique examples of music, history and architecture. Vienna consistently ranks among the world's most liveable cities in surveys, thanks to its enchanting atmosphere, historical significance and geographical location. It is possible to find some of Europe's most important cultural heritage in Vienna's museums. With its orderly streets, lush parks that bring peace to the mind, magnificent buildings and palaces that dazzle with their splendour, Vienna is like a fairy tale land… You can reach Vienna in 3 hours by direct flight from Istanbul. After that, if you want to go to your hotel or city centre, you can easily and quickly travel from one point to another within the city thanks to its extensive transport network and rich options. For those accustomed to big-city chaos and integrated with disorder, the traffic flow on Vienna's streets is remarkably serene. With separate traffic lights for pedestrians, motorized vehicles and bicycles, and absolute right of way always granted to pedestrians, never hearing a horn makes you feel not just in a different city, but on a different planet. In Vienna, where the Habsburg dynasty ruled for centuries, among the most important tourist and historical structures are iconic buildings bearing the dynasty's mark, such as Schönbrunn Palace, St. Karl's Church and St. Stephen's Cathedral with their striking architecture that draws tourist interest. The Art History Museum displaying valuable works by renowned artists and occasionally hosting various artistic endeavours, the Albertina Museum, the Natural History Museum and MuseumsQuartier, a square where many museums stand together, offer a unique location especially for those interested in art and history. At MuseumsQuartier you can find works by many artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka in one place at the Leopold Museum. Additionally, the Ludwig Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK), ZOOM Children's Museum, Kunsthalle Wien and Art Cult Center are just a few of the museums that must be seen. Kärntner Street, Mariahilfer Street and Graben Street, among the city's most popular and lively streets with their restaurants and cafés, are essential stops for entertainment, shopping and food enthusiasts.

The city draws particular attention in spring months with various film festivals as well as pleasant festivals and events such as the International Vienna Festival.

Seen as a stopover for those doing a Central European tour, Vienna is definitely not a city to be visited in 2-3 days. If you are planning a Vienna trip, I recommend setting aside at least 5-6 days to explore this beautiful city.

Vienna is particularly a city that will captivate you with its museums. With its wide range spanning from natural history to modern art that will appeal to everyone, even those who say "I don't enjoy visiting museums!", numerous different museums welcome thousands of visitors of all age groups every day. I recommend first taking a pleasant walk in the city centre. Surrender to the visual feast offered by lush parks, streets filled with lively cafés at all hours of the day, and beautiful sculptures and architectural structures, enjoy the rhythm of the city that draws you in while hearing Mozart melodies and stopping for a break at coffee shops at every corner. If we were to list the main places to see: St. Stephen's Cathedral: I recommend starting your city tour with St. Stephans Cathedral, located in the heart of the historic centre that has become Vienna's symbol. This Gothic architectural masterpiece was built between 1360-1440 in honour of St. Stephen. Austria's most magnificent and largest church, the cathedral has two towers. The splendid south tower, 137 metres long, can be seen from all corners of the city. Moreover, if you draw a circle around this dazzling cathedral and walk around it, you will have the opportunity to see many of the city's important iconic structures. Austria's largest bell, the 21-tonne "Pummerin Bell", is located in the north tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral. Observing panoramic city views from the observation terrace at the top of the cathedral is a magnificent experience. However, one of the most captivating features, as impressive as the interior of the Cathedral, is its roof tiled with colourful mosaics and colourful stained glass windows. One of the first names that comes to mind when thinking of Vienna is Mozarthaus, displaying the personal items, furniture, musical compositions and piano of the famous composer and musician Mozart, whose very name is synonymous with classical music. The house is located just next to the cathedral.

Plague Monument:

During the period when the plague, known as the "Black Death", ravaged Europe, Emperor Leopold I, during whose reign Vienna was in the Graben district, abandoned the city, and upon the end of this calamity, had this monument erected in memory of those who lost their lives. Originally built of wood, the monument was repeatedly renovated and finally completed in 1693. In addition to being an important work from an art history perspective, many similar monuments are also found throughout Austria.

Hofburg Imperial Palace and Sisi Museum:

The Hofburg Palace, one of the winter palaces of King Franz Joseph and his famous wife Elizabeth (Sisi), houses a museum/palace displaying their daily items, trinkets, furniture and porcelain sets, and is one of the attractions visited by tourists. Within an area inside this palace, performances can still be watched at the Spanische Riding School, an equestrian school where horses from the royal era were trained and performed.

Schönbrunn Palace:

We said Vienna is a city of palaces. Vienna's undisputed most magnificent and elegant palace is Schönbrunn Palace. Of the palace's 1,400 rooms, 40 rooms are open to visitors. There are two separate tours to see the halls and rooms within the palace. If the short tour is chosen (Imperial), 28 rooms are visited. If the long tour (Grand) is chosen, you can also see 40 rooms, including Maria Theresia's bedroom. Among these halls is also the hall where the famous musician Mozart, as a small child, gave a concert in the presence of the king. With their wall and ceiling decorations bearing witness to history, elegant and tasteful furnishings, you will not want to leave these rooms where time seems to have stopped, and you will not be able to refrain from imagining yourself in those old times. The outside of the palace is as impressive as the inside. Extensive gardens stretch around the palace. Also on the opposite side of the palace is the Gloriette, also known as the triumphal arch. The palace gardens are legendary and open to the public for free passage. You can see people jogging or picnicking in these gardens every season. Moreover, this magnificent palace also has a zoo, which is said to be Europe's oldest and largest zoo. From polar bears to giraffes, from elephants to leopards, pandas to seals, you can see many animals together here. Additionally, among the anecdotes told is that the king, while alive, had a pet lion and would playfully set it upon his guests.

Belvedere Palace:

Prince Eugen Savoy, who carried out a successful defence during the Ottoman siege of Vienna, was proclaimed a hero and given this palace as a gift. The palace consists of two magnificent Baroque structures, the Lower Belvedere (Unteres) and the Upper Belvedere (Oberes). It is possible to find many outstanding works of art in the palace. Paintings and sculptures by many important figures, particularly Klimt, are held under the palace's stewardship.

Hundertwasser House:

Extraordinary and nature-friendly houses designed by painter, poet and architect Friedensreich Hundretwasser, completed in 1985 and built with completely different structures in a "nature-friendly" concept nested within each other.

Naschmarkt:

We can describe it as an open-air public market where you can always find and taste different flavours from all corners of the world.

Prater:

The Ferris Wheel, which has become one of the symbols of the city and the setting for romantic scenes in many films set in Vienna, is located in this historic amusement park. Don't leave Vienna without tasting its famous paper-thin schnitzel, its uniquely sauced potato salad like you've never had anywhere else before, apple strudel in its historic pastry shops, its famous milk coffee in its cafés that Turks taught them and they became equally fond of and modified over time, and without sipping a glass of wine on the banks of the Danube! If you want to see other cities after coming this far, I strongly recommend visiting Salzburg with its striking nature and scenery reminiscent of a painting. Those who cannot get enough of watching the Danube can complete their tour with a visit to Prague (Czech Republic) and Budapest (Hungary), located only a few hours away, and return home leaving a piece of your heart and mind in these history-scented cities.