Vienna - the city with the aroma of coffee
Two thousand years ago, on the territory of present-day Vienna, there was a Roman military camp - Castrum Vindobona, by the way, built on the site of a Celtic settlement. Although the mere mention of the Roman presence evokes emotions and something of a sentiment, it is not the main recognizable sign of the city. However, his business card is monuments, the atmosphere of which is really amazing.
The most famous monument of Vienna is, of course, St. Stephen's Cathedral, in Poland it is sometimes incorrectly called St. Stephen's Cathedral. “One of the most beautiful monuments of ancient German architecture”, “the most outstanding example of Austrian Gothic” - this is how enthusiastic art connoisseurs describe it. In the cathedral itself, attention is drawn to the stone pulpit with images of the holy fathers of the church, the main altar in the Baroque style and the Gothic altar.
In the basement of the cathedral you can see the graves of the Habsburgs. Usually different parts of the body of representatives of this dynasty were buried in three different places. Most of the buildings visited by tourists storming the city were built during the time of Franz Joseph. They include the church, the town hall, the parliament building and the court theatre. Cities that were architecturally attempted to be attributed to the Austrian capital were called "little Vienna".
Vienna also offers many attractions for museum lovers. Lovers of painting and aesthetics will be primarily interested in the Museum of the History of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches Museum) and the Liechtenstein Museum, opened in 2004. Exhibits straight out of horror movies (at least for those of us who don't like the sight of blood and being in a hospital) can be seen at the Museum of Medical History called the Josephinum. Also the famous father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud lived in Vienna. Things related to the life of an outstanding scientist can be seen in the museum located in his former home.
Another interesting place is Schönnbrunn Palace, built in the last years of the 17th century. Tourists can visit a few dozen of the thousand chambers of this palace. This is a place where history lives with a capital letter, the smell of which we still feel today. In the Mirror Gallery, six-year-old Mozart gave his first concert here. Also in this palace, Emperor Franz Joseph I was born and spent most of his life. And, finally, in 1918, Charles I abdicated, which put an end to the existence of Austria-Hungary.
You can travel to Schönnbrunn with your children without fear that they will get bored. The nearby park contains a palm house (one of the largest in Europe) and the oldest zoo in the world. It was founded in 1752 by Empress Maria Theresa, the same one who twenty years later took part in the first partition of Poland.
The Vienna Prater amusement park can be recommended to both young and old tourists. Its main attraction is the Riesenrad ferris wheel, built in 1897. Movie fans associate it with Orson Welles' The Third Man or the fifteenth James Bond film, In the Face of Death (1989). For those who love strong impressions, the crazy roller coaster and water tower are recommended in this huge amusement park. The Prater is a must see, especially at night when all the buildings are beautifully lit. Therefore, unforgettable fun awaits not only children and adolescents, but also adults.
Music lovers will be interested in the Vienna Opera. Every year on the first of January for seventy-one years, a traditional New Year's concert is held in its building, which is broadcast on television to the whole world. You can even see it in Angola or Mozambique.
Today Vienna is famous for its numerous cafes. It is believed that the first cafe was founded by a Pole - Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki. According to legend, there was a supply of coffee left in 1683 by Turkish soldiers. Initially, the cafe was on the verge of bankruptcy, probably because not everyone could enjoy the taste of the specialties served. Only the idea of adding honey, sugar and milk to coffee expanded his circle of customers. However, Vienna is famous not only for coffee, but also for the most famous dessert in the world: the Sacher Torte. Chocolate cake, invented in the 19th century, layered with apricot marmalade and covered with dark chocolate, is a real feast of taste.
Before you set off to conquer Vienna, you should get the Vienna Card, a discount package that gives you the right to visit museums and other tourist attractions at an affordable price.
Although the card itself costs 18.50 euros, it will not be an extra purchase with money spent on it. Moreover, in addition to the Vienna Card, we will receive a booklet with promotional coupons containing up to one hundred and twenty pages!