Spanish Riding School (Vienna)
...is the oldest and last Riding School in the world where classic dressage is still practised in its purest form. This Institute was founded in 1572 and its very name gives away the fact that the horses were of Spanish origin. The Lipizzaner is regarded as the oldest classic horse race in Europe. The Imperial Court Stud was situated near the village of Lipizza and it was this village which gave the race its name. After the collapse of the Danube Monarchy in 1920, the Austrian Republic became the legal successor and from this time the Lipizzaners have been bred at the federal Stud at Piber in Styria. The superb arena - the Winter Riding School in the Vienna Hofburg (Imperial Palace) in which the Riders of the Spanish Riding School train the horses and where they perform was commissioned by Emperor Karl VI. His portrait decorates the white baroque hall built by Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach from 1729 to 1735. Since 1920 the presentations of classical dressage have been open to the public.
The tasks of the Spanish Riding School are:
To maintain classic dressage in perfection.
To preserve the Lipizzaner race and to supply stallions which have proved their abilities to the Federal stud in Piber as stud horses.
The members are made up from all professions. The group has only be able to achieve its great successes through total commitment and a great deal of sacrifice. The girls in the Group wear the heavily pleated skirt, beneath which flowing underskirts are concealed. The brightly embroidered top with its trimmed edging is finished off with a wrap and a wide-sleeved blouse with a pleated lace collar. The variously coloured aprons are made complete by a leather belt embroidered with quill.
The boys wear soft leather boots up over the knee to their black leather knickerbockers and a dark brown velvet coat to their variously coloured velvet waistcoats. Their headgear is a black, wide-brimmed hat, which was probably brought into Carinthia by Friulian cart drivers, just as all the folk costumes in the neighbouring provinces of Carinthia, Slovenia (Yugoslavia) and Friaul (Italy) have been influenced by each other.
The group's repertoire extends to all Austrian and Carinthian large formations, but also to dances in keeping with the mentality of Alpine inhabitants. The dancing couples are accompanied by their own musical section which has different musicians for the various pieces.
Villach
Try your luck at the tables! The renowned casino in Velden is only a 10 minute drive away. The congress hall in Villach, a venue for important meetings and conferences on a wide range of subjects is on the doorstep, a two minute walk away. Villach by night has also holiday surprises in store. Immerse yourself in the town's pulsating nightlife, with its restaurants, bars and cafes. Whether it is culture. sport, health or business, Villach offers numerous possibilities of spending a memorable holiday.
Salzburg
The province of Salzburg is renowned for its music festivals, Mozart's music and the magnificent architecture of Salzburg itself. In the south are the snow-covered mountains of the Hohe Tauern and to the north the hill country and lakes of the Salzkammergut in the northeast. Salzburg is open, elegant and well planned, set amidst mountain scenery with all places of interest only a few minutes' walk from the old town. Any views of the town are dominated by the imposing presence of the Festung Hohensalzburg. Salzburg is probably best known as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is commemorated in a yearly music festival in the Grosse Festspielhaus. Mozart's birthplace and the house where he composed The Magic Flute are both museums housing exhibits from the composer's life. Like Vienna, Salzburg is a fine example of the Baroque style of architecture, which stands second only to music in the country's cultural history.
Schönbrunn Palace (Vienna)
The Palace has its origins in 1559, when Emperor Maximilian II who was looking for a hunting lodge purchased a mansion in the outskirts of the city.
Later, this Palace used to be the Habsburgs Summer residence (their official residence was the Imperial Palace). Here you can take a look at some of its magnificent rooms, among others the Room of Millions, one of the best samples of rococo in the world. The Schönbrunn Palace, is one of Vienna's most beautiful buildings. Here is where the Empress Maria Theresa lived with her 16 children and her husband Emperor Francis I. Years later this was the place chosen by Napoleon as his headquarters during his Austrian campaigns.
In 1749 Nikolaus Pacassi created the present exterior. Inside the walls of the Schönbrunn Palace have taken place some events that have changed the history of Austria: a six year old prodigy kid gave a concert in 1772 (nothing special, if he wasn't Mozart), Maria Theresa held private conference with Prince Kaunitz, Napoleon met with his generals in the Vieux Laque Room, and in 1918 Emperor Charles I signed his abdication of the crown. From the Maria Theresien Gloriette you can admire a wonderful view of the Palace and of the city of Vienna. Here there's a bar where we can sit for a while and enjoy the moment. The Gloriette was constructed in 1757 to commemorate the battle of Koln over Frederick II of Prussia. Other interesting visits in the gardens of the Schönbrunn Palace are the Palm House, the Butterfly house, the Baroque Palace Theater (restored in 1980) and a Zoo (Tiergarten).
UNO City (Vienna)
UNO city was completed in 1979, in order to host some international organizations that had their offices in other parts of Vienna. Some of the most important organizations are: the International Atomic Energy Agency and The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, among other agencies of the UN.
Next to the UNO city, there's the Austria Convention Center Vienna built from 1982 to 1987, with several conference halls, designed by the Viennese architect J. Staber.
Belvedere Palace (Vienna)
The Belvedere Palace was constructed in 1722 by Johan Lukas von Hildebrandt, when Prince Eugene of Savoy - Commander in Chief of the Imperial Army-- asked him to construct a Summer palace for him. He actually never lived here.
The Palace houses the Austrian Gallery, with 19th and 20th century Austrian and International works. Among others, there are the works of Amerling, Hausner, Hundertwasser, Klimt, Kokoscha, Romako, Schiele, Waldmüller and some French impressionists too.
Imperial Palace (Vienna)
The imperial Palace was the residence of the Habsburg emperors, who's empire lasted until 1918. The palace has undergone several modifications and expansions. Originally it was a medieval castle - unfortunately from this period only the chapel remains. In the 16th century the Palace stables and Amalia's wing were added. In the 17th century Leopold's wing, in the 18th century the Imperial Chancery wing, the Court Library and the Spanish Winter Riding School were added. In the 19th century the St Michael's wing was added. Finally, in the 20th century the New Palace was built, and then came the end of the empire and with it, the Palace expansion ended.
