It may have meant nothing to Midge Ure, but Vienna is the mother lode of all things cultural. The grandiose city was the showpiece of the all-conquering Habsburg dynasty.
April 23, 2006 (Press Release) --
Intro
It may have meant nothing to Midge Ure (cue gratuitous Ultravox reference), but Vienna is the mother lode of all things cultural. The grandiose city was the showpiece of the all-conquering Habsburg dynasty, which controlled much of Europe for over 600 years. Despite the ravages of time, its cultural gems endure: monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums burst with historical and artistic treasures, and internationally established orchestras perform in lavish concert halls.
From the detritus of a collapsed empire and the chaotic rubble of WWII, the Viennese have built a vibrant modern city with enviable economic clout and great old coffee houses. And with its newfound panache and verve the city has a lot more to offer than those Habsburg has-beens, warbling choir boys and prancing gee-gees.
Destination Facts
Population: 1,660,000
Area: 1075 sq km (415 sq mi)
Country: Austria
Time: GMT/UTC+1
Telephone Area Code: 43-01
Orientation
Vienna stands imperiously in the Danube Valley, with the rolling hills of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) undulating beyond the suburbs in the north and west. The Danube River divides the city into two unequal halves, with the old city centre and most tourist sights south of the river. The Danube Canal (Donaukanal) branches off from the main river and winds a sinewy course south, forming one of the borders of the historic centre, known as the Innere Stadt. The rest of the old centre is encircled by the Ringstrasse, or Ring, a series of broad roads sporting sturdy public buildings. Beyond the Ring is a larger traffic artery, the Gtel (literally meaning 'belt'), which is fed by the flow of vehicles from the outlying motorways. The city's principal landmark is the distinctively slender spire of Stephansdom in the heart of the Innere Stadt. The majority of hotels, pensions, restaurants and bars are in the Innere Stadt and west of the centre between the Gtel and the Ringstrasse.
Flughafen Wien Schwechat, Vienna's airport, is 19km (11mi) east of the city centre. It's a 35-minute trip to the centre on S-Bahn line S7. Airport buses run from the City Air Terminal at the Hilton Hotel every 20 or 30 minutes daily, taking about 20 minutes. A taxi should cost around US$25.
When to Go
There's almost always something happening in Vienna, making it a year-round destination. Weatherwise you might want to miss January's chill, and July and August's heat - you won't be able to see the Lipizzaners and the Boys' Choir in those summer months anyway. June and September are particularly good times to visit, though you'll find that everyone else thinks so too, making things somewhat busy. As always, it's a good idea to opt for the less-crowded spring/autumn shoulder months of April-May and October-November.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
It may have meant nothing to Midge Ure (cue gratuitous Ultravox reference), but Vienna is the mother lode of all things cultural. The grandiose city was the showpiece of the all-conquering Habsburg dynasty, which controlled much of Europe for over 600 years. Despite the ravages of time, its cultural gems endure: monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums burst with historical and artistic treasures, and internationally established orchestras perform in lavish concert halls.
From the detritus of a collapsed empire and the chaotic rubble of WWII, the Viennese have built a vibrant modern city with enviable economic clout and great old coffee houses. And with its newfound panache and verve the city has a lot more to offer than those Habsburg has-beens, warbling choir boys and prancing gee-gees.
Destination Facts
Population: 1,660,000
Area: 1075 sq km (415 sq mi)
Country: Austria
Time: GMT/UTC+1
Telephone Area Code: 43-01
Orientation
Vienna stands imperiously in the Danube Valley, with the rolling hills of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) undulating beyond the suburbs in the north and west. The Danube River divides the city into two unequal halves, with the old city centre and most tourist sights south of the river. The Danube Canal (Donaukanal) branches off from the main river and winds a sinewy course south, forming one of the borders of the historic centre, known as the Innere Stadt. The rest of the old centre is encircled by the Ringstrasse, or Ring, a series of broad roads sporting sturdy public buildings. Beyond the Ring is a larger traffic artery, the Gtel (literally meaning 'belt'), which is fed by the flow of vehicles from the outlying motorways. The city's principal landmark is the distinctively slender spire of Stephansdom in the heart of the Innere Stadt. The majority of hotels, pensions, restaurants and bars are in the Innere Stadt and west of the centre between the Gtel and the Ringstrasse.
Flughafen Wien Schwechat, Vienna's airport, is 19km (11mi) east of the city centre. It's a 35-minute trip to the centre on S-Bahn line S7. Airport buses run from the City Air Terminal at the Hilton Hotel every 20 or 30 minutes daily, taking about 20 minutes. A taxi should cost around US$25.
When to Go
There's almost always something happening in Vienna, making it a year-round destination. Weatherwise you might want to miss January's chill, and July and August's heat - you won't be able to see the Lipizzaners and the Boys' Choir in those summer months anyway. June and September are particularly good times to visit, though you'll find that everyone else thinks so too, making things somewhat busy. As always, it's a good idea to opt for the less-crowded spring/autumn shoulder months of April-May and October-November.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
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