!!!Story for panoramas on Vienna
by Stas Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\        

19 September 2014

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Vienna, one of the finest and most famous cities in the world, stretches
out to the eastern part of Austria at the bottom of the Alps and on both
sides of the Danube River. Its history dates back to the Celts, who
established a settlement here known as Vindobona. In the middle of the
1st century, the Romans built a military camp in this strategically
favorable area. A century later the famous Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Antoninus died in Vindobona. In the 4th century Christianity was
introduced, and in the 12th century English King Richard the Lionheart
was captured in Vienna.

[{Image src='image1.jpg' caption='Parliament and Town Hall\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' height='621' popup='false'}]

Vienna's history is unique and eventful; even a brief mentioning of some
historic events will take more than one page to write. All of them were
important in one way or another for the development of the city and its
culture, and nowadays the city represents a solemn reminder of its
imperial period.

Vienna became the resident city of the Habsburg Dynasty, one of the most
influential monarchy dynasties of Europe during the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance period. Eventually the city of Vienna grew to become the
capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Afterwards, the city received the
title of capital of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. This gave Vienna a
surge in its development, which is now reflected in its image. Although
Vienna's landmarks, famous palaces, and castles were built at different
times and represent a mixture of architectural styles that range from
Gothic to Renaissance, they all blend together into one harmonious
ensemble, bearing vivid imprints of the once royal imperial glamour.

[{Image src='image2.jpg' caption='Karlskirche\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' height='621' popup='false'}]

The heart of Vienna is Ringstrasse, or simply, the Ring. It is a
circular street surrounding the Old City. The boulevard and the
buildings were primarily meant to show the power of the Habsburgs and
the Austrian Empire. At the same time the history and experience of
Paris was taken into consideration: specifically the fact that the wide
streets don't allow revolutionaries to build barricades. Saint Stephen's
Cathedral, Hofburg Palace, the Opera House, the Parliament, as well as
many other landmarks can all be found on the Ringstrasse.

[{Image src='image3.jpg' caption='Panorama\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' height='388' popup='false'}]

Other magnificent and solemn palaces, such as the Belvedere Palace and
the Schönbrunn Palace, are located away from the center. It is not
surprising because they were built as summer country residences for the
governing elite of Vienna. In addition to the classical heritage, the
city is packed with astonishing modern architecture. The shape of the
Leopold Museum is a rectangular parallelepiped; the building is faced
with shell limestone. The facade of Hundertwasser House is painted with
bright colors and is absolutely asymmetrical. The 252-meter Danube Tower
with rotating platforms is the second tallest building in the country.
The1-kilometer-long Karl Marx-Hof building is the longest apartment
building in the world. The distance from one end to another is equal to
four tram stops. Overall, it seems there are no limits to the
imagination of the modern architects of Vienna!

[{Image src='image4.jpg' caption='Town Hall\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' height='621' popup='false'}]

Yet, the Austrian capital is still an extremely green city. Vienna is
one of the "greenest" metropolises in the world. Parks and woods,
including the famous Vienna Woods that share a border with the East
Alps, use about 45% of the total area of the city, which amounts to 415
square kilometers. In addition to that, 18% of the land is allocated to
the farms and vineyards.

[{Image src='image5.jpg' caption='Michaelerplatz\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' height='621' popup='false'}]

Vienna's image won't be complete without its musical history. Johann
Strauss, a composer who transformed folk dance into elegant ball
entertainment, was born in Vienna. Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Haydn, and
other famous composers, inspired by the city's unique atmosphere, also
created their masterpieces in Vienna. Vienna kept its tradition of
hosting outstanding balls. In fact, the Austrian capital is known even
to this day as the "city of waltz".

We hope that our panoramas will allow you to get a feeling of the
beauty, solemnity, virtuosity, and at the same time modernity of the
city of Vienna.
\\ \\
[17 Panoramas of Vienna, Wien|Geography/Europe/Austria/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Vienna]






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