With around 65,000 drawings and more than a million old master prints, the Albertina is a mightily impressive collection of art. Located in the largest Habsburg residential palace, the collection also includes more modern works - including two significant collections of Impressionist and early 20th-century art, and temporary exhibitions. Also on display are 21 exquisite Habsburg state rooms, spread over two floors of the palace.
Vienna’s Stephansdom (also known as St. Stephen's Cathedral) is kind of a big deal. As the national emblem of Austria, it attracts over 1 million visitors every year. And rightfully so – at over 800 years old, it’s home to some of the country’s most interesting historical and architectural sights.
The High Altar, which took seven years to build in the 17th century, is just one of 18 altars inside the impressive Gothic and Romanesque structure. The red marble tomb of Emperor Frederick III is decorated with more than 240 statues - that's 6.667 statues for every year of his reign as Holy Roman Emperor.
If your tastes extend to the more macabre, visit the catacombs, built during the 1735 Bubonic plague they're, erm, 'home' to over 11,000 skeletons.
Peterskirche, or St. Peter's Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the heart of Vienna, Austria. This imposing Baroque monument was built in the early 18th century, and boasts a large domed ceiling with enormous columns flanking the entrance.
Entrance to the church, which was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, is free. To really experience its grandeur, visitors can enjoy an evening with the Classic Ensemble Vienna, who perform seamless interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, and others.
Karlskirche - St. Charles' Church in Vienna - St. Charles Borromeo - is considered the most important sacred building north of the Alps. It was built at the behest of Emperor Charles VI in 1716, after the last great plague epidemic, and was completed in 1737.
In 1741, Antonio Vivaldi was buried right next to the Karlskirche. It was the imperial patron church until 1918. Today, you can experience authentic concerts in the Karlskirche with the Orchestra 1756 and its soloists playing baroque instruments.
The Schönbrunn Orangery belongs to the Schönbrunn Palace, the impressive former summer residence of the Habsburgs, full of glass windows, huge archways, and white stone. It was built in the 18th century on the orders of Francis I to host Imperial parties, and today hosts elegant concerts.
At 189 meters long and 10 meters wide, it's the largest orangery after Versailles. Incidentally, the orangeries of Versailles and Schönbrunn are the only ones still in operation.
The strange cuboid building in Vienna's fashionable Museumsquartier contains the most-visited museum in the city. The Leopold Museum has a remarkable collection of Viennese Art Nouveau, the Vienna Workshop, and of the Expressionist period. It also has the largest Egon Schiele collection in the world - plus masterpieces by Gustav Klimt.
There are also revolving exhibitions and a great shop and cafe (with a great view overlooking the Museumsquartier).
The Belvedere is a World Heritage Site, a Baroque jewel and the site of the Austrian State Treaty. One of the oldest museums in the world and at the same time a venue for contemporary art.
The unique overall ensemble with the two palaces Upper and Lower Belvedere and the extensive garden is one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in the world. In the 18th century, the Austrian general Prince Eugene of Savoy commissioned the distinguished Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt to build a summer residence, but Sisi Elisabeth never lived there.
After Empresses Maria Theresia purchased the palace, it was immediately dedicated to showcase the extended imperial art collection.