Visit the upper battery, where the drawbridge would have been raised and lowered. The terrace offers a view of the south façade, featuring the royal coat of arms of Manuel I. The patio’s ornamental parapet features a Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, symbolizing protection for sailors on voyages. The watchtowers protrude from the walls, adding to the enticing atmosphere.
Explore Imperial Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens
Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) of the 18th century is worth seeing not just for its superb architecture, but also for its attractive park-like location. This exquisite Baroque castle, one of Vienna’s major tourist attractions, comprises over 1,441 rooms and apartments, including those originally inhabited by Empress Maria Theresa.
Highlights of the tour include a visit to the Imperial Apartments, which include Emperor Franz Joseph’s Walnut Room and his Bedroom, which still contains the little soldier’s bed in which he died. Highlights of Empress Maria Theresa’s chambers include her lavishly furnished and decorated garden apartments, as well as her Breakfast Room, which features floral artwork done by her children.
Schönbrunn Park and Gardens is another must-see attraction in this area. The park, with its sweeping panoramas and waterfalls, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Historic Hofburg
The Hofburg, Vienna’s most important historical palace, has been the formal residence of Austrian kings since 1275. It spans 59 acres and contains 18 structures from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo periods. The Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection, Imperial Chapel, and Hofburg Treasury are among the attractions. English-language guided tours are provided.
Kunsthistorisches Museum and Maria-Theresien-Platz
The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna displays the great art collections of the Hapsburg royal family, including the world’s largest collection of Pieter Bruegel’s masterwork Tower of Babel, as well as paintings by Raphael, Titian, Bellini, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Velazquez. The museum also has a strong collection of late Italian Renaissance, Baroque, and Flemish paintings, as well as classical Greek and Roman art and Egyptian artifacts. English-language guided tours are provided, and the café’s sophisticated setting makes it a must-see. The museum’s great monument to Empress Maria Theresa, commissioned by Franz Joseph I in 1887, comprises high reliefs depicting notable political, economic, and artistic leaders.
Baroque Masterpiece: Belvedere Palace
The Belvedere Palace in Vienna is a magnificent Baroque complex composed of two buildings: Lower (Unteres) and Upper (Oberes). The Upper Palace has a statue-filled Ground Floor Hall and a Ceremonial Staircase with magnificent stucco carving and murals. A Marble Hall with oval plaster medallions and beautiful ceiling frescoes, as well as a Marble Gallery, can be seen in the Lower Palace. The Winter Palace, Orangery, Palace Stables, and Belvedere Gardens and Fountains are also must-sees. The Austriaische Galerie Belvedere is a well-known art museum that houses vast collections of sculptures and panel paintings dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries.
Take the Kids to Vienna Zoo
The origins of the Vienna Zoo, also known as the Schönbrunn Zoo (Tiergarten Schönbrunn), may be traced back to Emperor Francis I’s menagerie. It is the world’s oldest continuously operational zoo, having been founded in 1752. With many of its original Baroque structures still standing, it’s one of Europe’s most delightful zoos to visit, especially if you spend some time in the old 18th-century Imperial Breakfast Pavilion, which today contains a fine café.
The enormous pandas, including cubs, and the numerous intriguing creatures exhibited in the interactive Rainforest House and Aquarium are among the zoo’s more than 750 species. If you’re visiting Vienna with children, make sure to check the zoo’s official website for information on feeding times, which are usually a wonderful family activity.
Albertina Museum & Albertina Modern
Over a million objects of art and over 65,000 drawings from various schools and movements are on display in Vienna’s Albertina museum. Over a million permanent and temporary exhibits are housed there, including works by Chagall, Picasso, Cezanne, Degas, Magritte, Vlaminck, Modigliani, Klimt, Munch, Kandinsky, Münter, Miró, Brach, and Ernst. The museum is housed in a 17th-century palace where the Habsburg archdukes lived, and it offers English-language guided tours as well as audioguides. Private tours and workshops for children are also available. Add the Albertina Modern to your Vienna agenda if time allows.
