Riesenrad in Vienna
The Wiener Riesenrad – World Famous Ferris Wheel
The beautiful city of Vienna is a magnet for lovers of music, the arts and amazing architecture. There is one attraction that dominates a spacious part of the city’s skyline. This is the Wiener Riesenrad, the world famous ferris wheel located at the entrance to the Prater. The history of the Wiener Riesenrad creates as much of the wonder of this particular feature of Wien as the immense size of the structure. At night, the Wiener Riesenrad fairly lights the entire city with its glowing illumination.
Not just a palace, its a community: Hellbrunn Palace in Salzburg
Hellbrunn Palace, located in the southern part of the city of Salzburg in Austria, was built in 1612 to 1619 by Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, the Prince Archbishop to Salzburg. The Hellbrunn Palace, which was built in three years, was intended to serve as a summer palace for the Archbishop. The architecture is by Italian architect Santino Solari who was commissioned by the Archbishop. Inside, the walls of the palace are covered in 17th and 18th century paintings with themes which include a depiction of Maria Immaculata, Roman gods and goddesses, and King Neptune.
The Hellbrunn Palace
Hellbrunn Palace is more of a manor than a castle. The palace is three stories tall and rectangular with a large pavilion nestled in the courtyard. Hellbrunn Palace is home to a nearby zoo, the beautifully manicured “pleasure garden” with its peaceful ponds adorned with a collection of statuary and an assortment of water fountains designed to play tricks on visitors. The grounds host a Christmas Market in the winter and in the summer tourists flock to the gardens for the infamous water games of the many trick fountains.
Schloss Schoenbrunn – Famous Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna Austria
A visit to one of the most famous sights in Vienna and an insight into Austrian culture
Schoenbrunn Palace has been an ever-evolving piece of Vienna’s landscape for the past 500 years. Located in the 13th district, the overall property was first acquired by the Archduke of Austria, Maximilian II, in 1569. Since that time, 14 additional rulers and members of the Habsburg Monarchy have occupied the palace and left their mark on this treasure of Vienna and Austria.
The original property was home to a mansion called Katterburg, which remained in use and untouched for almost a century after being acquired by Maximilian II. It wasn’t until the wife of Ferdinand II, Eleanor Gonzaga, was bequeathed the property after her husband’s death and added the palace to the existing mansion in the mid 1600’s, that the name “Schoenbrunn” was mentioned. Over the next three centuries, various new styles of architecture and decoration were introduced until 1918, when the newly formed Austrian Republic took over the property and preserved it as a cultural museum piece. Since then, it has been open to the public and is a major tourist attraction for those visiting Austria and Vienna. (weiterlesen …)