Vienna is a delightful city of unparalleled beauty, located on the banks of River Danube. With its eclectic mix of palaces, museums, theatres and cafes, Vienna is a historic and architecture-lover’s dream. You have so much to see here, from the Schönbrunn Palace to MuseumsQuartier district, Ringstrasse to Graben. Here’s a list of Vienna’s most famous tourist places.

The most coveted palace in Vienna, the Schonbrunn Palace can be termed the most famous among tourists. With almost 1500 rooms and history dating back to late 1600s, the palace can be easily as grand as Versailles. Do make sure to visit the Privy Garden in the place park, which also happens to be the oldest zoo in the world, followed by a maze like labyrinth, and a summer house made of marble (called Gloriette).

The Hofburg dynasty has left quite a trail through Austria when it comes to palaces and lavish estates. The Hofburg Imperial Palace is just one of them, currently holding a place of pride for the tourists coming in from all over the world in Vienna. The Palace was built back in the 13th Century, and today serves as the home to Austria’s President. Part of it is converted into a museum. Three parts of the entire palace are open to public, including the Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum.

The Ringstrasse road us a 5 km stretch of long drive that circles the inner city of Vienna. It is an old road, built in the 19th Century by the then Emperor Franz Joseph. The Ringstrasse has some of Vienna’s most significant landmarks and buildings lining its curbs. From the State Opera to the City Hall, Natural History Museum and the Vienna Stock Exchange, you will be able to see most of Vienna at a glance if you visit Ringstrasse on a drive.

Next up on Vienna’s star highlights is St Stephen’s Cathedral. It is also widely known as Stephansdom, and was built back in the day in 12th Century. It was a humble parish church then but grew into the monstrosity of a cathedral that it is today. It was destroyed in the second world war and rebuilt to its current glory. You can visit the cathedral and be a part of the daily worship here. There are some stunning works of art, beautifully carved altars and precious ceilings to feed your art-hungry eyes.

The Belvedere Complex is really a collection of some of Vienna’s historic palaces, with an orangery going back to the 17th Century. You will find many breathtaking palaces here, some that you will never forget. The baroque style of architecture adorning most of these palaces makes for another style statement from history. You must also try to visit the Belvedere palaces during nights, when they come alive against the backdrop of Vienna.

Once a royal garden, Burggarten is heavily British-influenced in its layout and pruning. It can be called a little England in Vienna. Because it was once the court garden of the Hapsburgs, Burggarten holds much significance for the history lovers. A piece of trivia says that Kaiser Franz II worked here in his time. Today you may bring a picnic basket to the gardens and enjoy some lunch, sit with your back to a shaded tree or just while away your time enjoying the Vienna afternoon with coffee. There is also a memorial of Mozart in the garden, which is must-visit. A glass palm house named Palmenhaus and Schmettlerlinghaus (home to butterflies and bats) are also on the hotspot list of tourists.

A famous street of Vienna, Graben means ‘trench’ in German. The street belonged to the old Roman era, when Vienna used to be fortified with a wall around the city, and this street was but a trench. Later it was filled and reclaimed to be used by craftsmen to build their homes. Lately, the street has prospered to a point where it houses the elite and upscale humans of the city, promenades best used for shopping, having the traditional ‘Austrian coffee’ at local cafes and enjoying a chic city experience.

Spanish Riding School, a unique place to visit in Vienna, is a traditional school to learn horse riding, especially for Lipizzan horses. It also offers public performances and theatrics in the Winter Riding School. The place is almost 400 years old has been training horses since. The riders and horses together undergo special training for performances and do not disappoint the excellent stock of Spanish stallions that are the current breed’s ancestors. You must attend one of these shows.