ShoreTrips says...

Maximize your time in Vienna with your own personal driver transporting you between locations, then accompanying you on a walking tour of the sites. Your vehicle for the tour is a Mercedes limousine or van, providing not only luxury but extra-large windows for catching the best views of Vienna. Throughout the tour, your experienced guide will explain the history and share intriguing stories and anecdotes with you.

Our first stop is Ring Boulevard, a masterpiece of urban planning and oft times considered the most beautiful boulevard in the world. It is home to Vienna's most important government buildings as well as museums, theaters, and splendid parks.

The sites at Heroes Square are equally, if not more so, impressive than those of Ring Boulevard. The Hofburg Palace, with its 2,600 rooms, is mind-boggling. Construction began in the 13th century and continued until the 20th. Once the residence and seat of government of the Habsburg emperors, it now contains many museums, the Spanish Riding School, the stables of the Lipizzan horses and currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria.

Our tour continues at Kohlmarkt, Vienna's most upscale shopping street. Even centuries ago, this was the place to be seen. Famous composers, such as Chopin and Hayden, once lived on Kohlmarkt. We'll stop at the beautiful, intricate yet haunting Plague Column. Erected after the Great Plague epidemic in 1679, it pays tribute to the 76,000 people who lost their lives during this crippling time in the city's history.

A highlight in a tour filled with highlights will be St. Stephen's Cathedral. The roof of this majestic Gothic structure is covered with 230,000 glazed tiles and its interior is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the entire world. A stroll behind the cathedral reveals narrow streets, hidden courtyards and the typical Viennese "Pawlatschen" access balconies. The music of Moazrt will be running through your head when you see the house where he composed "The Marriage of Figaro, one of his most famous operas.

We move on to the historic Belvedere, one of Europe's most stunning Baroque landmarks. Once you see the two magnificent palaces (Upper and Lower), along with extensive gardens, you will understand why Belvedere is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Finally, we drive to the Danube area, home of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), established in 1980 as the third United Nations Headquarters after New York and Geneva. Dominating the Viennese skyline is the Danube Tower, Austria's tallest landmark. It was designed to express the vibe of the 1960s with its sleek, modern design and gleaming pinnacle and it certainly delivers.

Our last site is the Prater Amusement Park, a Viennese treasure loved by both young and old. Offering every kind of ride and attraction imaginable, it is most well-known for its Giant Ferris Wheel. Classic movie fans will recognize it from the 1949 film, The Third Man, in which the Ferris Wheel has (almost) equal billing with Orson Wells and Joseph Cotton. At this point, you have the choice of returning to the starting point of the tour with your driver or spending some additional time at the Prater (Do it! How often do you visit Vienna?) and taking a taxi back (at your own expense) to the cruise ship pier or your hotel.