Designed by Adolf Loos and completed in 1909, this is considered to be one of the most significant buildings of the Wiener Moderne era from 1890-1910, although initially it was fiercely criticised. Today the building is occupied by the Wiener Raiffeisenbank, but a permanent exhibit in the building has photographs and documents illustrating the building's history.
Mon-Wed Fri 09:00-15:00; Thu 09:00-17:30 (exhibit)
Michaelerplatz Excavations
Archeological excavations carried out between 1989 and 1991 revealed not only the foundations of medieval buildings but also remains of the Roman canabae (civilian support settlement) of Vindobona, as Vienna was then known. The viewing area was designed by Viennese architect Hans Hollein.
Daily 24 hr·Free
Spanische Hofreitschule
First mentioned in a document dated 1572, it is the only equestrian institute in the world which follows a Renaissance model of classical schooling. Eleves, or students, begin their training immediately after completion of Austrian primary education (age 15 or 16), and are expected to be both sporty and clever. The school takes its name from a Spanish breed of horse first mentioned in Roman writings. In 1562, Emperor Maximilian II brought some of these Spanish horses to Austria to found a royal stud farm in Kladrub (Bohemia), housing them for a time in the "Stallburg" (oldest section of the Imperial Palace). The present school location was built in 1572. In 1580, Maximilian's brother, Archduke Karl, founded the stud farm in Lipizza near Trieste (now Slovenia). Interest in elegant riding had been growing for about 50 years at that point. During Renaissance times, powerful gentlemen who had already conquered the worlds of finance and politics looked to the writings of antiquity for new learning and an educated lifestyle to which they could aspire. Horsemanship which followed the ancient models described by Socrates and others became the fashion. Xenophon (430 – 354 BC) wrote "Men who understand the art of horsemanship, in truth, look magnificent." Who wouldn't want that? In the new Winter Riding School (built 1729-35), tournaments, masked balls, and other entertainment was held, but this would soon draw to a close – the royal stud farms at Lipizza were threatened by Napoleon several times and twice the precious stud horses were evacuated to Hungary. No photos or video taping allowed.
Visitor center: Tue-Sun 09:00-16:00, Fri 09:00-19:00 during performance days; box office (Josefsplatz): Tue-Fri 09:00-12:00
A legendary store. Its two floors hold many exotic as well as local wares. Even if you do not intend to buy anything, it is worth a look as there are likely things you have never heard of. The store holds just about every kind of wine you can think of, and has a great selection of pastas, chocolate, and cheese. Also has a wide selection of coffee, their own is one of the most recognised in Austria.
Mon-Fri 08:00-19:30, Sat 09:00-18:00