V-Collections - Gems of Design

Vienna Austria

Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a mountainous, landlocked country, lying within the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres. The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the Habsburg Dynasty. Austria was the birthplace of many famous composers such as Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert,, Johann Strauss, Sr. and Johann Strauss, Jr. Vienna, the capital of Austria, is located on the Danube River. The city’s famed residents include Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. Vienna is also known for its Imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence. Vienna’s long cultural tradition includes theatre, opera, classical music and fine arts. The magnificent Schönbrunn Palace is a 1,441-room Baroque palace in Vienna and one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years as an imperial residence for successive Habsburg monarchs. The Schönbrunn Palace in its present form was built and remodelled in 1740—50s during the reign of empress Maria Theresa[2] and included the neoclassical style palace exterior as it appears today. The Schonbrunn Palace is on the World Heritage List. The Vienna Town Hall, the Rathaus, representing the Neo-Gothic style, was built between 1872-1883 and is the mayor’s administrative headquarters. The Rathauspark, a large park with greenery and fountains, faces the Rathaus and was designed by the city-gardener Rodulph Siebeck and completed before construction of the Town Hall.