The present site where this luxurious baroque palace sits was once covered by immense forests. It was used as hunting grounds by the Habsburgs. The hunting lodge and pavilion were twice destroyed by the invading Turks. After the final victory over the Turks in 1683, Vienna went through a period of prosperity which saw the construction of many magnificent palaces.

Schonbrunn was originally intended as a summer palace, but plans changed after construction started and it was subsequently suppose.. Read More »

The historic center of Vienna was classified as a UNESCO site in 2001 for three main reasons. One, the urban and architectural qualities of the site are a testimony to a continuous exchange of values throughout the second millennium. Two, the city has been universally recognized since the 16th century to be the musical capital of Europe. Three, the historic center’s aforementioned urban and architectural heritage are especially well-illustrated by three important periods of cultural and politica.. Read More »

The 30-km. (18-mi.) stretch of Danube between the towns of Melk and Krems is protected as a cultural world heritage site by the UNESCO because 1)it illustrates through its architecture, habitation, and agricultural methods how medieval towns and culture have evolved through the ages; 2)its river banks bordered by mountains have remarkably survived throughout its historical evolution.

The region was awarded the “European diploma” and designated as a protected European landscape in 1993 by the .. Read More »