Day Trips from Vienna

VIENNA SIGHTS BELVEDERE PALACE The two Baroque palaces were built in the 18th century as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. They are known as theUpper Belvedere - full of huge rooms for entertaining - and the Lower Belvedere - the former living quarters - and are set in huge andmagnificent gardens. They are considered to be the best Baroque palace in theworld. The Upper Belvedere is now a gallery showing Austrian art from theMiddle Ages to the present day, including the world's best collection of Gustav Klimt. Klimt's famous golden The Kiss is here. In The Orangery next to the Lower Belvedere houses changing exhibitions, and in the Lower Belvedere you can see the prince's living quarters and staterooms, plus the stables. KUNSTHALLE WIEN In the Museumquarter, between the Leopold and MUMOK is the Kunsthalle, or Art Hall, a collection of exhibition halls showcasing local and international contemporary art. Its high ceilings, open space and pure functionality have seen the venue rated among the top institutions for exhibitions in Europe. Programs, which run for 3 to 6 months, tend to focus on photography, video, film, installations and new media. The concept behind the gallery is to foster new and exciting trends and experiments in contemporary art so expect the unexpected.. KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM The Museum of Fine Arts houses the fabulous art collection of the Habsburgs, the royal dynasty of Austria for over 600 years. Emperor Franz Joseph I commissioned the building as part of his expansion of Vienna in 1858 and it took twenty years to build, opening in 1891. Inside you'll find amazing art treasures including Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities, European paintings and sculptures, a coin collection which is one of the 5 best in the world, and a library specializing in Austrian Theater History of around 90,000 items. The building itself is also worth seeing with its sweeping staircases and murals. HAUS DER MUSIK The House of Music, or Haus der Musik, rates among the best museums in the city. Spread over 4 floors (the 5th is a café and restaurant), it helps explain sound in an amusing and interactive way, accessible to both children and adults. The 1st floor houses the Vienna Philharmonic's historical archives, where a shortened version of the world famous New Year's concert can be heard and you can compose your own waltz with the interactive roll of a die. The 2nd floor's "prenatal listening room" re-creates noises heard by babies in the womb. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss and Mahler each have a room on one level and yet another floor deals with experimental and electronic music. Displays are very interactive.