Vienna
Vienna, the elegant capital of the former Habsburg Empire, is a city of imperial grandeur, music and coffeehouse culture. Its crown is Schonbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs' vast summer residence of 1,400 rooms set in formal gardens that climb to the Gloriette, a Versailles of the east. Few European capitals wear their history so beautifully or so lightly.
In the center rise the sprawling Hofburg palace, the soaring Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the grand Ringstrasse boulevard lined with the opera house, the great museums and parliament. This is the city of Mozart, Beethoven and the Strauss waltz, where you can hear a concert in a gilded hall, watch the Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School, and linger for hours over coffee and Sachertorte in a historic cafe.
Refined, romantic and richly cultured, Vienna is one of Europe's great capitals, and an easy one to fall for. We love giving it room to unfold slowly: a private morning at Schonbrunn before the crowds, an unhurried afternoon among the imperial apartments, and an evening of music followed by a late slice of cake. It is the perfect opening chapter for any journey through Austria.
