City Guides - Vienna
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Vienna is a city of music, but it is also synonymous with gourmet fare, cream cakes, superb coffee, the angelic strains of the Vienna Boys' Choir and the proud prancing of the Lippizaner stallions at the world-famous Spanish Riding School.
Vienna started out as a Celtic settlement on the banks of the Danube and became one of the Roman's most important central European bases. Its central location on the strategic river contributed to the city becoming a mighty empire, reaching its peak during the tumultuous reign of the dazzling Hapsburg dynasty. At the end of the 19th century the golden age of empire began to decline as Vienna's coffee houses filled with radical intellectuals like Freud, Klimt and Mahler. The Second World War Nazi occupation left scars, but Vienna survived it all to remain a captivating capital that blends Italian romanticism with a Germanic orderliness.
Most of the city's tourist attractions are within the largely pedestrianised inner city area, which was once enclosed by the city walls. The walls have been replaced with the Ringstrasse, a wide ring road. Further out in the suburbs is the thrilling Prater amusement park with its massive ferris wheel, and the opulent Schonbrunn summer palace. Visitors also should not miss a trip to the Vienna Woods, peppered with ancient 'heuringen' (wine taverns).
Getting around: Vienna boasts one of the finest public transport
systems in Europe; it is safe and easy to use, and consists of
punctual buses and trams, a fast U-Bahn (underground) and S-Bahn
(railway). Most operate from about 6am to midnight; buses stop
earlier but there are night buses on weekends covering the major
routes. The U-Bahn is the fastest way to get around the city, while
the S-Bahn is the cheapest way to get to the airport. The tram
network is one of the largest worldwide and is the next best way of
getting about with the added advantage of being able to see the
city, although some lines don't operate on weekends. Buses are
useful in the inner city where there are no trams. Fares are
standard for all forms of public transport (EUR1.70 for a single),
and once validated will allow one journey including transfers in
the same direction. Travel passes are available, the Vienna Card is
valid for three days and allows unlimited travel on public
transport except night buses, and offers discounts at many
attractions, shops and restaurants. Taxis are plentiful, reliable
and metered, but have a list of surcharges and are among the most
expensive in Europe. The most romantic, if expensive way to get
about is by horse-drawn carriage, or Fiaker. A car is a burden in
Vienna, but can be useful for trips outside the
city.
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