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SchonbrunnPalaceVIESchönbrunnPalacewithitssurroundingbuildingsandthehugeparkisoneofthemostsignificantculturalmonumentsinAustria.ThecastlewasbuildtorivalFrenchVersaillesinBaroquebeautyandimportancebutHouseHabsburglackedfundstooutdoitsrivallingnationFrance.InearliertimesitservedassummerresidencetovariousHabsburgrulers.•EmperorFranzJoseph(ruled1848-1916),whowasbornherein1830,spentthelastyearsofhislifeentirelyinSchönbrunn.In1918,thepalacebecamethepropertyofthenewrepublic.Duetothishistoricalimportance,itsbeautifullocationanditsgardensthispalaceisoneoftheverytopsightsinVienna.FurthermoretheentirecomplexwasaddedtotheUNESCO'sworldculturalheritagelist.ViennaOperaHouseVIE•ViennaOperaHouseissituatedinthefristdistrictofViennaatthesouthernendoftheKärntnerstrasse.AugustvonSicardsburgandEduardvanderNüllbuilttheStateOperaHousefrom1861to1869.TheViennaOperaHousehasaworld-widereputationforitsfirst-classoperaperformancesandisalsoknownbecauseoftheViennaPhilharmonicOrchestra.AnightattheStateOperaisoneofthemostimpressiveeventsanyvisitortoViennacanexperience.TheSoundofMusicTour•RelivewithusthetruestoryofthevonTrappfamilywhichwasfilmedastheSoundofMusicintheSalzburgarea.Thetour,whichhasbeenSalzburg`smostpopulartourforover30years,isacombinationofthishistoricalCityitselfandthebeautifulLakesandmountainsarea,alsoafamousmusicalandculturalcentre.WeshowyoutheHighlightsandfilmlocationsoftheSoundofMusicandsomeoftheSoundofChristmas-aspecialityforallenglish-speakingguests....TheSoundofMusicTourissomethingnobodyshouldmiss-Ineverdo!MariavonTrapp.Innsbruck•Covetedbyempiresandrepublicsthroughoutitshistory,InnsbruckwastheseatoftheimperialcourtofMaximilianIbytheendofthe15thcentury.Tramsmakegettingaroundthecityquick,efficientandcheap.ExploretheTyroleancapital'shistoryatArchdukeFerdinandII's10th-centurySchlossAmbras,theTyroleanFolkArtMuseum,thegrand15th-centuryImperialPalaceandMaximilianI'sfamousGoldenRoof.OneofEurope'smostidylliccities,InnsbruckisnestledintheheartoftheAlps.Salzburg•SalzburgisoneofthesmallerAustrianlandsbutitisoneofthemostimportantforthetourismindustry.OnlyaboutsixpercentoftheAustrianpopulationliveinSalzburgbuttheycontributeabout25percentoftheneteconomicproductofAustria:5millionguests,morethan22millionovernightstays,withalmost189,000bedsavailablefortourists,20,000employeesinthehotelandcateringindustry.MannekenPisBRU•NewYorkhastheStatueofLiberty,CopenhagenhasthemermaidandBrusselshasthe......MannekenPis.Thisstatueofalittleboyinasomewhatcompromisingpositionhassinceseveralcenturiesbeenamajortouristattractioninthecity.Whenmostpeopleseeour'manneken',thefirstreactionisalwaysoneofamazement:Look,howsmallheis!Whydoeseverybodywanttoseehim?ThepeopleofBrussels,however,accepthimthewayheis.Afterall,itdoesn'talwayshavetobebigtobebeautiful.ImaginehewouldbethesizeoftheStatueofLiberty:Brusselswouldbecontinuouslyflooded!•TherearemanylegendsabouttheManneken.Accordingtooneofthemalittleboyhadwateredagainstthedoorofawitchwholivedwherethefountainnowstands.Thewitchwassoangrythatsheturnedthelittleboyintoastatue.•Anotherlegendsaysthatamanhadlosthislittleson.Hefoundthechildaftertwodaysneartheplacewherenowthefountainofmanneken-piscanbeseen.Whenthefatherspottedhischild,thelatterwaspeeing.Asatokenofgratitudethefatherhadthefountainwithastatueofapeeingboyconstructed.•Ifthesightofmanneken-pisinspiresyoutonewlegends,don'thesitatetocontactthecityauthorities!GrandPalaceBRU•OneofthemostbeautifultownsquaresinEurope,ifnotintheworld,isaphraseoftenheardwhenvisitorsinBrusselstrytodescribethebeautyofthecentralmarketsquare.French-speakersrefertoitasthe'Grand-Place',whereasinDutchitiscalled'degroteMarkt'.Thetouristsofthe20thcenturyarenotaloneintheiradmiration.ArchduchessIsabella,daughterofFilipIIofSpainwroteaboutthesquareduringhervisittoBrusselsonSeptemberthe5th1599:NeverhaveIseensomethingsobeautifulandexquisiteasthetownsquareofthecitywherethetownhallrisesupintothesky.Thedecorationofthehousesismostremarkable.RedSquareMOW•RedSquarewasestablishedinthe15thCentury,undertheruleofIvanIII,andwasoriginallycalledTrinitySquareaftertheTrinityCathedral,whichusedtostandonthesitewhereSt.Basil’sstandsnow.Sometimelaterthename‘KrasnayaPloschad’becamepopular.Theword‘krasnaya’isambiguous.OriginallymeaningbeautifulinoldRussian,itonlycametomeanredinmoremoderntimes.Commonly-heldassumptionsthenthatthe‘Red’inRedSquarereferredtoCommunism,bloodspilt-oreventhecolourofthemonuments-areinfactmisplaced!TheKremlinMOW•TheKremlin,seatoftheRussiangovernmentandhometosomeoftheworld’smostinfamousleaders,ranksalongsideRedSquareandtheHermitageasoneofRussia’stoptouristattractions.IvantheGreat,IvantheTerrible,Lenin,Stalin,GorbachevandYeltsinallheldswayhere,andfromwithinthesefortifiedwallstheycasttheirindeliblemarksonthepagesofhistory.StateHistoricalMuseumMOWConstructedinthelate19thCentury,theStateHistoricalMuseum'sredbrickedwalls,conicalturretsandornatecornicesmakeagrandadditionMoscow'sRedSquare.Insidethefrescoedhallsofthevastedifice,allmanneroftreasuresawaittheprospectiveexplorer,includingaretrospectiveofRussianhistory,w