Browse Items (17 total)

One of the shopping districts in Vienna on the Kartner Strasse.

Apparently, Emperor Leopold I (one of the many Hapsburgs) was so frustrated by the toll the plague was taking on Vienna in 1679 that he promised to build a “mercy column” if the plague would end. The plague ended so quickly that they had built a…

The chapel dates from 1320 (it's off a small street in the city center) and was “Baroquified” in the 16th and 17th centuries. The frescoes by Daniel Gran were painted in the early 1700s. The entire space was amazing, and a reminder that the roads…

After driving only 20 minutes away from the city center, one is surrounded by rolling hills with a stunning view of the city below.

We were introduced to sturm, a fermented wine made from early-season grapes, at the Werner Welser winery in Heiligenstadt, outside of Vienna.

Vineyards at the Werner Welser winery in Heiligenstadt, outside of Vienna.

Beethoven moved around A LOT. In his day, many people would have winter houses in the city and summer houses out in the cooler suburbs, like Heiligenstadt. But Beethoven didn’t have much money, so he couldn’t afford two houses. (Apparently, sometimes…

Beethoven would pack up his belongings twice a year and move between the suburbs and city. The count on his addresses in Vienna and its outskirts ranges from 60 to 80 pending on who you ask. This is a map of some of these homes in Heiligenstadt.

Maria Theresa, the mother of Marie Antoinette, added the Baroque flair for which Schönbrunn is known.

Like at Versailles, the formal gardens here are beautiful.