UNESCO'S World Cultural Heritage

The historic center of Vienna has been added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list. Thus, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Imperial Palace and many other historic buildings are now recognized as being among the 700 outstanding cultural and natural monuments of mankind - others include the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, the historic center of Rome, the Kremlin with the Red Square, the Chinese Wall, the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon.

Vienna's historic center, in its unity, is considered one of the most beautiful city landmarks in Europe. Three eras left their mark on the former residence of the Habsburgs: the Middle Ages with Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral whose spire points toward heaven, one of Vienna's landmarks; the Baroque whose most important achievement is the Imperial Palace with its sumptuous cupolas. And the Ring Boulevard era of the late nineteenth century, when such splendid buildings as the Vienna State Opera and the Museum of Fine Arts were built to replace the former city walls.

The imperial flair of downtown Vienna with its historic center is enhanced by numerous churches, palaces, and parks, as well as by rich art collections gathered by wealthy rulers. And the centuries-old musical tradition ranges from the Court Chapel of the Imperial Palace to Mozart's immortal music and the waltzes of Johann Strauss. Also inextricably linked to the Vienna city center are the delights of Viennese cuisine, the gemütlichkeit of Viennese coffeehouses and nostalgic shopping at former purveyors to the royal-imperial court.