Beautiful buildings, uncrowded streets, bright colors.
Vienna looks great on social media.
But does it live up to its picture-perfect image in real life?
And is it worth a trip?
Let's investigate.
The Austrian capital is one of the most-visited cities in Europe.
5.6 million tourists came there in 2022.
For centuries, it was the home of the Habsburg dynasty,
whose royalty made the city their showcase.
The Vienna Hofburg in the center of the old town is a photo hotspot.
The complex of palaces and buildings is so huge that it doesn't even fit in one picture!
Nowadays, the Hofburg is the residence of the Austrian President.
But many museums are located there, too.
To check out what's behind the magnificent facades,
visit the State Hall in the Austrian National Library in the Hofburg.
It's 10 euros to enter, but definitely worth it!
Towering in the center under a 30-meter-high dome is a statue of Emperor Charles VI.
Don't forget to look up at the impressive ceiling fresco.
The library holds 200,000 books, some 350 years old.
So, did it live up to the hype?
We say - yes!
The photos on Instagram aren't an exaggeration.
The Hofburg and National Library are definitely a must see!
If you look for pictures of Vienna on Instagram, you'll definitely find the Karlskirche.
The church has Byzantine architectural elements since it was influenced by the Hagia Sophia church
in Istanbul in the early 18th century.
But it's more than a selfie backdrop.
For an entrance fee of 9.50 euros, you can marvel at its impressive Baroque interior.
The church was commissioned at the beginning of the 18th century by Charles VI,
the same emperor who had the State Hall of the court library built.
So what's the final word on this hotspot?
Yes!
The Karlskirche is also worth a visit, and anyone who goes inside it will understand
even more why it's so popular.
I think the most remarkable thing
besides the physical building of the church is actually
what it stands for.
The church of St. Charles was build as a Votiv Church, as a monument, so to speak
or as a a boll work against epidemics and pestilence.
And that was the purpose of this church to be
a sort of a spiritual boll work against physical evils as well.
And we here at the church of St. Charles still live very much in this tradition.
The third frequently photographed Vienna site
also has something to do with overcoming an epidemic.
The baroque plague column, also known as the trinity column is an eye-catcher on the Graben,
Vienna's prominent shopping boulevard.
Passers-by and tourists frequently stop to admire the 20-meter-high monument.
Marvel at the many figures and scenes relating to life and death carved on it.
This towering sculpture was built by Emperor Leopold I, pictured here.
Although the monument from 1693 is an eye-catcher,
hardly anyone seems to know why it was built.
It's very tall, impressing, very pretty. I like it.
Do you know, what's the reason for this statue here?
I don't know, I don't.
No, we don't know.
This is a column to give thanks for surviving a very deadly plague that struck Vienna
in the 17th Century, towards the end.
We say about a quarter of the people died, so a big trauma for the people.
Very, very religious, in the sense that this is a present
and offering to God who they believed saved them.
Conclusion: the Plague Column looks great in pictures
and takes you to the heart of Vienna.
So does Vienna's Instagram image live up to reality?
We say yes!
Vienna is photogenic and worth a visit.
But what do you guys think?
Write your opinion in the comments!