Palaces of Vienna
The city of Vienna is unrivalled for its beautiful palaces. Once an imperial capital and a European metropolis, Vienna attracted noble families from all over the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg dominions, all eager to build impressive residences close to the Imperial Court. The result was a wealth of palaces reflecting the artistic development of Vienna over the centuries. The palaces built during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and the public and private buildings of the second half of the nineteenth century, in particular, are some of the loveliest anywhere in the world.