Travel Adventure

By Maida Busskohl

 In 1804, Vienna became capital of the Austrian Empire and played a major role in European and world politics throughout the 19th century, before playing host to many of the decisive moments in the epoch-defining European wars of the 20th Century.


Vienna is a city that prides itself on its culture, this is reflected in the habits of the local population; the Viennese''s famous coffee culture, and despite incursions by Starbucks and Italian-style espresso bars, the Kaffeehauskultur is still the traditional way to drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper and meet friends. There are several cultural delights to be savoured in the city amongst which the highlight is the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts), one of the world''s greatest art museums. The museum itself is a beautiful example of late 19th century Austrian architecture, Emperor Franz Joseph I commissioned the museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum to be constructed simultaneously, with both museums having identical exteriors and standing facing each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. The Kunsthistorisches contains a world-class exhibit of the Habsburgs'' art collection, including Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Bosch, and Brueghel.

Read more: Oh, Vienna - It means something to me