A Taste of European Culture

About Prague

Prague has been an important cultural and economic center since the reign of Charles IV in the 14th century. The city is home to iconic sites dating back as far as the 14th century, including Charles University, the oldest in Europe; Prague Castle; and, of course, the magnificent Charles Bridge, an architectural wonder that has been connecting the two banks of the Vltava River for over 600 years. The bridge contains the figures of 30 saints that were added in the Baroque period). 

Prague has been an important cultural and economic center since the reign of Charles IV in the 14th century. The city is home to iconic sites dating back as far as the 14th century, including Charles University, the oldest in Europe; Prague Castle; and, of course, the magnificent Charles Bridge, an architectural wonder that has been connecting the two banks of the Vltava River for over 600 years. The bridge contains the figures of 30 saints that were added in the Baroque period). 

Prague’s 14th century Old Town Hall and Gothic tower are popular attractions, both for their beauty and for their views of nearby ancient buildings.  The Town Hall served as the seat of the city's rulers, and the tower, located on its southern wing, bears an iconic astronomical clock dating back to 1410. The hands of the clock are calibrated according to the time of sunset, so don’t count on it for finding out the actual time! The clock also contains the zodiac and at the top of each hour, from 9 AM to 11 PM, the bells ring and there is a moving display of the apostles that lasts for 45 seconds. The eastern wing of the Town Hall was destroyed during the uprising on May 8, 1945 and was never rebuilt. In the square behind the clock, there is a monument to Jan Hus, the Church reformer who was the inspiration for Hussitism, a predecessor to Protestantism. Hus was tried in the city of Constant in western Austria and put on the stake in 1415. The monument shows his failure in the war on the "White Mountain," and his famous sayings are engraved in stone. On the outskirts of the square stands the Church of Our Lady before Tyn. The impressive building with its multiple towers is a city icon. The original architecture is from the 14th century, but its turrets have been restored. Inside the church, there are 19 impressive altars and dozens of graves with worn tombstones – based on the ancient belief that stepping on a tombstone saves one from toothache. The impressive organ was renovated in 2000, and the triangular gable that can be seen between the towers, is an addition from the Baroque period. There is a façade in front of the church with convex capitals - this is the only structure that survived from the 13th century. The Powder Tower, a short walk from the town hall, is a remnant of the gate of the city’s walls and is where the city's supply of gunpowder was stored. The Old Town alleys, which combine many Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau styles, also lead to Prague's Old Jewish Quarter. The synagogues, the ancient cemetery, and the story of the "Golem" from Prague reveal the history of the Jewish community that lived here for generations. The Jewish Quarter is not open at all hours of the day, so be sure to confirm opening hours before arriving. Prague’s National Museum is a fifteen-minute walk from the ancient Town Hall. Along the way, walk through Wenceslas Square, named after Wenceslas I, King of Bohemia. It is a long square surrounded by boulevards and containing the statue of Wenceslaus on his horse. In front of the museum, there is a commemorative plaque for Jan Palach, the Czech student who set himself on fire in January 1969 as a protest against the Soviet invasion of Poland. If you are a fan of Art Nouveau, be sure to visit the Mucha Museum, an impressive museum that curates the works of the artist Alphonse Mucha. Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) is considered one of the oldest castles in the world, and it dominates the city's skyline. The citadel was the seat of kings and emperors for over a thousand years. The castle complex includes the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, the Golden Path, and other historical buildings. St. Vitus Cathedral is located within the Prague Castle complex and is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture. It is the largest and most important cathedral in the Czech Republic, featuring stunning stained glass windows, beautiful chapels, and tombs of Bohemian kings and Holy Roman emperors.

About Vienna

Everybody wants to visit Vienna. Not only is it the capital city of Austria, it is an exciting metropolis with a rich background in history, art and especially music. The city is known for its grand Ring Road, lined with impressive buildings including museums such as the Museum of Art History and the Museum of Natural History. If you want to be witness to the opulence of the Habsburg dynasty then make sure to tour the former residences of the royal family at the Schönbrunn Palace and the magnificent gardens as well as the Hofburg Palace and the Belvedere Palace, with its baroque architecture.

Everybody wants to visit Vienna. Not only is it the capital city of Austria, it is an exciting metropolis with a rich background in history, art and especially music. The city is known for its grand Ring Road, lined with impressive buildings including museums such as the Museum of Art History and the Museum of Natural History. If you want to be witness to the opulence of the Habsburg dynasty then make sure to tour the former residences of the royal family at the Schönbrunn Palace and the magnificent gardens as well as the Hofburg Palace and the Belvedere Palace, with its baroque architecture.

Vienna (Wein) has 23 districts (Wiener Gemeindebezirkein) and each district offers diverse attractions including art galleries, café, museums, palaces, restaurants etc. each with its pros and cons. Starting in 1850, as the city kept growing and including the surrounding communities the city gave them numbers for easy clarification and reference.  The 1st District (Innere Stadt) is the old town and is encircled by the Ringstrasse (The Vienna Ring Road) which is about 5 km long. It is divided into nine sections; each has a ring extension. In 2001, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. There is much to see in the inner circle including St. Stephan's Cathedral (Stephansdom), Hofburg Palace, the Natural History and Art History Museum, Wiener Rathaus (Vienna City Hall) the State Opera House and much more. Did you know that there are over 100 museums in Vienna! Besides the museums there are theatres, dance and music halls, restaurants, bars, exhibitions, restaurants, bars, cafes and lots of nature trails. Renowned artists whose works are hung in museums around the world and musicians whose music is played by international symphony orchestras were from Vienna. For example - Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) a symbolist painter and important influential member of the Vienna Secession movement (is there anyone who hasn’t seen his painting “Judith and the Head of Holofernes”; Egon Schiele (1890-1980) the Austrian expressionist who painted powerful personal paintings and Oskar Kokoschka the Expressionist, as well as Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) whose startling works can be seen in what used to be his home in the 3rd district. Note: The family was Jewish, their original name was Stowasser and to save themselves during WWII they disguised themselves as Catholics and the young Friedrich even joined the Hitler Movement to avoid being targeted. It was only after the war that he then decided to change his name.  Just saying and just mentioning a few of the most renowned Austrian composers, in alphabetical order (feel free to add to this list): Anton Bruckner, Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt, Joseph Haydn, Gustav Mahler, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert; their compositions can be heard around the world. in opera houses, theaters, concert halls and churches. Hofburg Imperial Palace which was built in the 13th century was the former main residence of the Habsburg monarchy. The palace contains 2600 rooms and some of them are spectacular museums on various themes and exhibitions. The various collections are housed in separate rooms and include musical instruments, weapons and armor, the ceremonial room (State Hall) in the Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) one of the most impressive in the world, with more than 12,000,000 books and item. The Imperial Treasury (Kaiserliche Schatzkammer) includes two imperial crowns as well as the Burgundian treasure and the treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Sisi museum in honor of Empress Elisabeth and so much more. On the outskirts of the palace is the famous Spanish Riding School where to this day they continue the training of Lipizzaner horses. Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) which was the summer “vacation” home for the Habsburgs is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered Austria's most popular and most visited tourist attraction. It is of great importance for its architectural design and its spectacular neoclassical colonnade and manicured gardens which includes the palm house (Palmenhaus) from around 1880 is home to exotic plants growing in 3 pavilions in this huge greenhouse and the Maze (a terrific place for children as well). St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. It is also one of Austria’s most prevalent attractions with about one million visitors a year! Architecturally it is a very important building in the Gothic style, although it has been added to, altered and redecorated over the many decades or more accurately centuries! However, if it is that “Kodak Moment” you are yearning for, then you will have to climb up over 300 steps to the bell tower for a magnificent view of the city with its colorful tiled rooves. Belvedere is actually two palaces in the Baroque style - the Orangery and the Palace Stables. As well, the Belvedere is home to the Austrian Art Museum with works by leading Austrian artists such as Egon Schiele and Kokoschka Oskar, Gustav Klimt (“The Kiss” is on view, in the Lower Belvedere Museum). The Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum), considered one of the top museums in the world, was built near the Imperial Palace in the late 1800’s. There just wasn’t enough room in the Imperial Palace for the incredible huge art collections of the royal family, as well as the most extensive collection of Bruegal art anywhere. Today they also exhibit the works of top artists from the Middle Ages to the 19th century including paintings by Johannes Vermeer, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) and Titian (Tiziano Vecelli).  The Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper) was one of the first of the monumental buildings to be built on the Ringstrasse and is renowned throughout the world. If you are a real opera buff you will be excited to know that the acoustics have been improved (with great difficulty because the building is under a preservation order). There are daily ballets and operas and visitors are welcome to view the impressive building. The Vienna Prater is a fantastic large public park in Leopoldstadt and the amusement park (The Wurstelprater) usually referred to as "Prater" is on one side of the park, with over 200 attractions including the iconic Ferris Wheel (Wiener Riesenrad) from the late 1800’s.Note: For easy access, an underground railway now stops near to the entrance of the Prater. Traditional dishes of the Viennese cuisine: Wiener schnitzel (veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried), Tafelspitz (boiled beef), Beuschel (a ragout containing veal lungs and heart), Selchfleisch (smoked meat) eaten with sauerkraut and dumplings and Knödel, a type of dumpling cooked in water- to be eaten as (a) a first course or maine or (b) a sweet type for dessert. Note: After the fall of Napolean in 1815, The Congress of Vienna took place. Celebrations and banquets were held for several months and the congress took on a moniker “The Dancing Congress". And thus for over 200 years the beginning of November signals the opening of “party time” and more than 450 banquets are held during the winter period.  

About Budapest

Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary. It is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center, sometimes described as the primate city of Hungary. Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Budapest's extensive World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square, and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second-oldest metro line in the world. The city contains around 80 geothermal springs and a plethora of remarkable attractions, such as the Castle Hill, the neo-Gothic Parliament, Saint Stephen's Basilica, Matthias Church, Dohany Street Synagogue, and more.

Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary. It is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center, sometimes described as the primate city of Hungary. Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Budapest's extensive World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes' Square, and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second-oldest metro line in the world. The city contains around 80 geothermal springs and a plethora of remarkable attractions, such as the Castle Hill, the neo-Gothic Parliament, Saint Stephen's Basilica, Matthias Church, Dohany Street Synagogue, and more.