One of the politest most livable and
friendliest cities in the world Vienna is a place for some old – fashioned talk
and romance. The city which lies almost in the heart of Europe is one of its
most celebrated, decorated and sophisticated cities. The city is the capital of
Austria and the second largest a German speaking city in Europe. Vienna or Wien
is considered to be the “City of Dreams” by virtue of it being the city of
birth of the Father of Psychology Sigmund Freud as well as the “City of Music”
due to its marvelous musical legacy which is still carried out in the underground cult – status music
legacy stores and in of course the more
sophisticated Philharmonic Orchestra. The city of Vienna has consistently
topped international ranking for being the most livable city in the world a
status it has been able to retain this year too
Like many other big cities in Europe Vienna has a history and a much
decorated one at that. The city which was formed in the low – lying region of
the Danube was home to humans from the Paleolithic Ages with the Celtic Tribes
being the dominant race. The Romans were the first to establish the city in its
current place as a military garrison to keep an eye on the ever – invading Germanic tribes. In the coming centuries after
the fall of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD the region in and
around Vienna became home to many Irish Monks who established monasteries
throughout the region some of which have stood the test of time. By the 10th
century AD the Babenberg Dynasty started ruling the region under the Duchy of
Austria and by the 12th century AD Vienna was under its control and
soon became their capital.
The 15th century marked the start of
a glorious period in the city’s history which continued on till the first half
of the 20th century, because at this time the Habsburg Dynasty came
to power I Vienna. It was the de facto capital of the Holy Roman Empire from the
15th century till the 18th century at which time it
enjoyed the status of being the cultural and musical center of the Europe, set standards
of class and courts in the continent as well as functioned as an influential
center of arts and sciences. With the fall of Holy Roman Empire the city became
capital to another great empire as the Austrian Empire in 1804. In 1867 the
Austro – Hungarian Empire was conceived with Vienna as its capital. During the whole
century Vienna remained the focal point of culture, arts and music with the beginning
of the First Viennese School of Music. The city saw massive development during
this time which dominates the city’s
classical landscape today. In 1919
Austria became a republic with Vienna as is capital.
Vienna is divide into 23 districts in a
circular formation with the first district forming the bull’s eye of the city. The
first district houses most of the earliest remains of the city with the castle
and the fort and is thus the heart of the city. The first district is encircled
by a ring formation boulevard which has
on its corners some of the biggest and
most famous building some of the biggest and most famous building of Vienna
such as the town Hall, the Parliament the Hofburg Palace, the State Opera House,
the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Art History, the Second District Leopoldstadt
is kind of an island on the Danube River which has thick forested but also
famous neo – baroque architecture. The third district Landstradt is the
shopping area of Vienna with every nice shopping markets such as Landestradt
and Hopstradt. You can also get a taste of the 20th century housing
project which are famous for their architecture. The sixth district of
Marriahilf houses most of the modern aspects of the city with neighborhoods
full of bars and Bohemian haunts along the Gumpfendorfer Stadt and also the
most popular shopping street in Vienna the Mariahilferstardt.
Getting into Vienna is now hassle as the Vienna
International Airport connects you to almost all the major cities in the
European Union and other continents. It is also connected by road, train and
bus with most of Europe. Getting around in the city is also no hassle with a
well developed public transportation system including metro, buses tram, taxis,
and like any other European city through bicycles. Vienna and its people are
considered to still have the hangover of the eras gone by as the people here
still talk with the utmost courtliness, politeness and civility, they are
considered to be very formal at the same time being very modern and forward
looking. The city is the capital of music and being here one should not miss a chance to visit the opera to get a taste of great music. If one happens to
visit the city during carnival time make
sure to visit the famous Balls that happens at the most exotic locations around
the city. Vienna with its class, culture and sophistication is truly the
imperial city Europe. a