Hotels-Base.com

Montmartre is a fascinating mixture of old and new, seedy and sacred, bizarre and blasé. Within this section of Paris, technically the 18th arrondissement, there is everything from Moulin Rouge and Musée d’Erotisme to the Sacré Coeur Basilica. There are several art shops, a Dali museum and even a winery.

(Note: An ‘arrondissement’ is a district, laid out around Paris clockwise, with the 1st at the center of the clock face.)

There are steep hills in parts, so be prepared for a hike, particularly up to the Basilica. But there are cobblestoned streets, too, with antique shops and ‘bistros’.

The word ‘bistro’ comes from the Russian meaning ‘quick’. It was first imported in the early 19th century by Cossack occupiers who wanted to be fed immediately. Everything from frogs legs to Tarte Tatin is served at spots as old as 1793 in the Place du Tertre.

At the Espace Montmartre one can view an original Dali etching and browse to the glares of the staff. The museum houses Dali sculpture, lithographs, drawings and even some furniture pieces.

For a different art experience visit the Musée de Montmartre. This 17th century house holds apartments once occupied by Renoir, Utrillo and other famous names. Renoir’s Galette, sold at auction in 1990 for $78 million, was finished here. Among other works, there are several original Toulouse-Lautrec posters on display.

And while you’re thinking of Lautrec, don’t forget to visit (at least the outside of) Moulin Rouge. Very pricey ($100 or more), with a floor show garnering mixed reviews, the windmill on the exterior is a photo-op not to be bypassed.

About 20 minutes walk from the Sacré Coeur Basilica, there are several other nightclubs in the area, as well. Beware the Pigalle neighborhood, though. It constitutes one of the seedier areas around.

By contrast, the Montmartre cemetery located in the eastern part of the district, is a pleasant park nearby. Tree-lined and festooned with flowers and dotted with benches, there are tombs and mausoleums galore.

And if you visit in mid-October you might even be able to catch the Grape Festival not far away. Hosting the only vineyard in Paris, Clos Montmartre (at 12 Rue Cortot) was planted in 1933 and has 2,000 vines under cultivation. Most varieties grown in France are represented and the wine lover won’t be disappointed.

For those who like a hike, start at the Abbesses Metro. Take a few minutes to enjoy the Art Nouveau awning and the mosaics around the door of the Eglise St Jean l’Evangéliste.

While you’re nearby, visit the crypt in the Chappelle du Martyre (at 9 Rue Yvonne-Le-Tac). The first Bishop of Paris, St Denys, is laid to rest here at the site where Loyala, the founder of the Jesuits, took his vows. (Open only on Friday.)

Most will want to finish their visit with a trip to the Sacré Coeur Basilica at the top of the hill. Whether standing on the white steps or up in the dome, the views are spectacular. Go early to avoid the crowds and the heat.

Montmartre is accessible via several metro (subway) lines. M12 (Lamarck-Caulaincourt) or M4 (Chateau-Rouge), Blanche station, etc. Anything which leads to the 18th arrondissement.

Hotels in Paris

Second only to the Eiffel Tower as the recognized symbol of France, the CathĂŠdrale Notre Dame is both a tourist destination and a working church.

Built between 1163AD and 1345AD the Gothic masterpiece remains today one of the world’s great structures. The enormous interior can seat 6,000 at the base. But, for many, the major attraction is the 387-step climb to the top of the famous towers.

Once reached via that winding, narrow passageway the visitor enters a large area dominated by a huge church bell and spectacular sights. From here it’s easy to imagine the fictional Quasimodo (the Hunchback of Notre Dame) ringing the 13-ton bell and clambering on the gargoyles around the perimeter.

The near-360 degree view of Paris and the close-up views of the many statuary make the climb well worth the effort. Take care coming up, though. There’s no guard rail and traffic runs both ways. Those coming down often cling to the wall, while climbers risk the outer edge on the steps.

Seen from the exterior, the building represents one of the pinnacles of High Gothic architecture. There are gargoyles, yes. But there is also the huge round window centered atop the west entrance, and magnificent high arches flanking the sides. Two more rose windows reside on the north and south faces.

The facade is festooned with the carvings of the many craftsmen who worked on the structure over the centuries. The west front alone contains 28 statues representing religious figures throughout history.

Entering the church is equally an uplifting experience. The high, rib-vaulted ceilings and the many stained-glass windows give the interior an appearance that awes, no matter how well prepared the visitor. Though in many ways typical of the period, the design is nonetheless staggering.

Here it’s easy to picture the slaying of the medieval Bishop or the 1804 self-crowning of Napoleon or the return of General de Gaulle at the end of WWII. The 7,800-pipe organ alone makes a visit worthwhile.

It’s nearly unthinkable now for the cathedral to not exist.

But for a time during the 19th century the fate of the church was very much in doubt. The structure had fallen into disrepair over the centuries and there was serious discussion of tearing it down.

Victor Hugo wrote his famous novel in part in order to call attention to the history and value of the building. His efforts, joined by several other well-known artists of the time, resulted in a renewed interest and the building was restored.

Reinstating the unusual triforium and the small clerestory windows in the east bay of the nave were only two among many efforts in a project begun in 1844 and lasting 23 years.

Notre Dame is easy to find from the Saint-Michel or Chatelet-Les Halles metro (subway) stations.

Hotels in Paris

The site of Sacré Coeur has long been an attraction for religious figures and groups. Though dedicated to peace and brotherhood, the building owes its birth on the site to the misfortunes of war and violence.

In the 3rd century, the first bishop of Paris, St Denys, was beheaded here. A Benedictine Abbey occupied the entire hill until rioters of the French Revolution burned it down.

During the Prussian War of 1870, the two Catholic businessmen who initiated the Sacré Coeur project wanted to build an offering should France survive the conflict.

The construction was approved and the site selected in 1872 by the then-archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Guibert. Financed predominantly by modest donations, work began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. Due to the outbreak of WWI, the consecration was delayed to 1919.

Despite its late-19th century origins, the architecture is a much older style. A mixture of Romanesque and Byzantine, the white, Oriental-style domes house a 19-ton bell (Savoyarde) and elaborate reliefs. Note: ‘Oriental’ does not mean ‘Asian’. The architecture of the Middle East is commonly known as ‘Oriental’.

Apart from its unusual (for the time and place) architectural style, the building has another unusual feature. The walls themselves actually get whiter with age. Made of travertine, a type of stone which leeches calcite, any accumulated soot and weathering gradually erode leaving the exterior a dazzling white.

The art work accompanying the building is alone worth the trip. The sculptures atop the entrance are bronze equestrian statues of Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) and King Louis. There are numerous mosaics and paintings covering the interior, including a large figure of the Virgin and Child. And, the ‘Christ in Majesty’ mosaic in the apse is one of the largest in the world.

The church is located in the north of Paris and rises 129 meters above-sea level. It is the second highest location after the Eiffel Tower. Sited next to the basilica is the still-standing 6th century St. Pierre de Montmartre church.

The building is a series of stepped-back rectangular walls pierced by several arches and capped by domes of varying sizes. Around the structure are complementary gardens and fountains, providing a peaceful site. That is, during those times when the grounds and building aren’t overcrowded, such as during the off-seasons or early in the morning.

From every angle without and many within the basilica is much more impressive than it generally receives credit for. Though a traditional style, the carvings and additions all form a harmonious whole. The golden mosaics give a glow to the interior that supports the site’s purpose as an area for contemplation.

From the grounds, high atop Paris, one can look out over the entire city and from within the dome there are equally impressive views. In the distance is the Eiffel Tower, and at dusk the combination of the onset of lights and the setting sun is spectacular.

Access to the site is challenging. There’s a metro (subway) station nearby at Abbesses. But, there are a great many steps leading up the hill to the basilica. The walk is eased somewhat by the funiculaire.

Originally intended as a structure to commemorate the French Revolution, who could’ve guessed that 100 years later The Eiffel Tower would become the symbol of Paris itself?

But, judging by the six million annual visitors and the millions of photographs, that’s what it has become. To date the tower has received over 200 million visitors since its completion in 1889.

For two years, three hundred workers joined over 18,000 pieces of structural iron to form the tower’s three distinct levels. Those levels currently house over 1,500 steps. The number has varied over the years with different renovations. But the visitor can be grateful not to have to climb the 300 meter (984 ft) tower, thanks to the many elevators. The uppermost portion supports a 24m (79ft) spire.

Picture by: Ian Britton – FreeFoto.com

By far the tallest structure in Paris, the tip may bend away from the vertical by as much as 18cm (7in) due to expansion of its 7,300 metric tons of iron. Warming by the sun heats one side more than the other.

That’s all the more remarkable since wind shear is usually the major problem with tall structures. But, the engineering is so well-thought out that the strongest winds cause no more than five inches of deflection.

Every seven years the entire structure is re-painted (using 50 tons of paint) to prevent rusting. Visitors can vote on the next color to be used by means of a computer housed in the tower.

Picture by: Ian Britton – FreeFoto.com

Among many remarkable statistics about the tower is its history as the world’s tallest structure until being overtaken by the Chrysler Building in 1930. Quite a long reign considering there were widespread petitions to have it torn down by some who considered it ugly and intrusive.

That might have succeeded if it hadn’t been in use as an antenna for the then-leading-edge technology of telegraphy. More than just decorative, the tower has been used as part of a communications system almost from the start. In 1909 a permanent underground radio center was built and since 1957 it’s been used as a transmission tower for both FM radio and television.

The tower has even been part of scientific research. In 1910, Wulf used it to make measurements that resulted in the discovery of cosmic rays.

But in typical Gallic fashion the practical use exists side-by-side with the aesthetic. The tower holds two restaurants: Altitude 95 on the first level, and the Jules Verne on the second. The latter has earned one star in the Michelin Guide and is accessible via a private elevator.

Apart from appearing in millions of photographs and thousands of television commercials, it has been used more directly as an advertising vehicle. From 1925 to 1934 the tower supported billboards for the automaker Citroen.

But the tourist needs no commercial to motivate a visit. The view from the observation platform, especially at dusk, more than exceeds any expectations set by ads. All of Paris twinkles below as the city is illuminated by both the onset of electric lights and the fading sun.

To visit the tower, take the Metro – the Paris subway – to the Trocadero station. Then, walk from the Palais de Chaillot to the Seine.

Unquestionably the most famous name in the world of art museums, The Louvre largely deserves its renown. Enormous and filled with irreplaceable treasures from around the world, this premier series of exhibits offers something for everyone.

The building itself is something of an historical and art adventure. The construction of the original structures began as long ago as the 13th century, though the present museum has its origins in efforts of three hundred years later. The existing Château du Louvre, which forms a large portion of the floorspace, was begun in 1546.

The subject of sporadic expansion efforts for the next three hundred years, the only major alteration in recent times was the addition of a grotesquely inappropriate glass pyramid completed in 1989. The Crystal Pyramid forms the current entrance.

The change had one advantage in opening up the museum to large numbers of visitors more comfortably. Through the entrance and down an escalator the visitor enters a world of 6,000 years of every style and type of art known to man.

Picture by: Ian Britton – FreeFoto.com

FreeFotoFreeFoto

Within the museum walls are Egyptian sarcophagi, Persian and Greek artifacts, medieval and Renaissance paintings, 19th century classical and Romantic sculptures and a smattering of the latest forms. Some estimates run as high as 100,000 pieces, but in truth no one could know with certainty.

The museum itself is an eclectic collection of styles, the consequence of its many additions and changes over the centuries. Much too large to see in one day, the visitor is well-advised to pick a few favorite periods or countries and focus on them. Naturally, the best strategy is to opt for several visits but that may not be practical for most.

There are the pieces known even to those with little interest in art – the da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the marble Winged Victory (Nike) of Samothrace, the armless Venus de Milo. But there are works well-known to those with at least a passing acquaintance with painting – Delacroix’s Liberty Guiding the People, Vermeer’s Geographer or Lacemaker, Ingres’ The Bather, David’s Marat Mort.

Picture by: Ian Britton – FreeFoto.com

FreeFotoFreeFoto

Along with the more recognizable pieces there are literally thousands on display known only to experts or the most regular visitors. Most of the collection is in storage at any given time. Many of the walls are covered from floor to very high ceiling with paintings ranging from miniatures to 10m by 3m (33 feet by 10 ft) canvases.

And there are a lot of those walls. The floor space covers several thousand square meters and there are a dozen different major buildings including the Château and the Tulieres that have been joined by passageways over the centuries. The various parts are also on several different levels, many connected only by steps. Be prepared for an extensive walk.

Fortunately, there are benches scattered about and the steps in many places are lightly used, providing several places to rest. To take a breather and enjoy a sandwich before continuing, the exterior too provides several places to sit. Here you can enjoy the passing parade of people or the stationary Les Jardins Tulieres. (Jardins is French for garden)

Lines can be long for tickets. Best to buy a ticket in advance or purchase one of the many available multiple-tourist-site passes. The museum is easy to reach via the metro (subway). Exit at the Palais Royal or Louvre Rivoli stations.

Hotels in Paris

Whether seen by a long, leisurely walk or from one of the many excellent tour boats, the view along the Seine in Paris is a delight.

The river flows nearly 800km (480mi) from Dijon through Paris and into the English Channel. But even the short section through the city provides enough sights to satisfy the most discerning traveler.

La Tour Eiffel can be seen changing shades from cocoa to gold as dusk fades to dark. The lights along its four pillars melding into the spire are only one of the many sights not to be missed.

Joining the left and right banks (the ‘rive gauche’ and the ‘rive droit’) along this ancient river are bridges themselves no stranger to time.

The oldest extant is Pont Neuf, ironically called ‘the new bridge’, whose first stone was laid by Henry III in 1578. Continued during the reign of his successor Henry IV in 1598, the construction was an enormous undertaking for the time. Finally completed in 1607, the bridge itself is, in a sense, older than France. At the time, the country was still split into fairly independent regions, such as Burgundy, Champagne and Normandy.

One of its newer cousins is the Pont d’Austerlitz constructed from 1854 to 1885. Comprised of five cast iron arches with a span of 32m (105ft), it rests on four piers and two stone abutments. (Abutments are the supports for the ends of a bridge.) The bridge has been widened twice from its original 13m (43ft) to the present 30m (98ft).

But not only youth and age are represented along these shores. Elegant beauty, in the form of the Alexander III, is also here. Opened in 1900, the bridge connects the Grand Palais on the right bank to the Invalides on the left. With pillars decorated by a gilded bronze Pegasus and large lampposts encircled by cherubs and nymphs, the Alexander III is among Paris’ most artistic public works.

The many tour boats provide another way to see the sights. Some are small, others larger, but they all offer a relaxed way to see the bridges and parts of Paris from another point of view.

The visitor can enjoy a glass of wine as the lights come on along the Montparnasse. The larger boats even offer lunch or dinner. From the uncovered flat boats tours are given in English and French. Several glide as far as past the Eiffel Tower and back past Notre Dame to Quai Henri IV.

Accessible from the center of the Pont Neuf, just walk down to the tip of the island, du Vert Galant.

Once you’ve completed the boat tour, don’t forget about the other attractions. From the exit it’s just a short walk to many other things to do and see.

Just down the bank is one of the finest art museums in the world, the MusĂŠe d’Orsay. And there are several small galleries and shops along the way. Be sure to walk down the stone steps to the river itself and see the bridges from underneath as well.

As you approach the gates of Versailles you inescapably have the feeling of entering not a palace but an entire city. The impression is justified given the massive scale of the building and the even larger grounds.

Beginning as a modest château of stone and slate to serve as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII (13th), Versailles blossomed – figuratively and literally – during the reign of his son. By 1682, after 20 years of work, the ‘Sun King’ took up residence… and then building really began.

At its height the grounds covered 1,800 acres and housed over 1,500 fountains besides the enormous palace. Around 300 remain today. Around the grounds are several distinct gardens. Watered by a system only part of which were 150km (90mi) of canals, the gardens and fountains are themselves a show on Sundays.

Covering 250 acres, the gardens were designed mostly between 1661 and 1700 and continue to amaze visitors. Be sure not to miss the large Fountain of Apollo, with the sun god driving a chariot of horses out of the surface.

Also on the grounds are huge stables. Closed to the public for almost 200 years, they were originally home to 600 horses owned by Louis XIV (14th). Now home to 20 Portuguese Lusitanian horses, the indoor arena is decorated with a sculpture and drawings of which the Sun King himself would have been proud.

Visitors can enjoy a directed tour of the stables and watch a morning dressage with costumed riders. (‘Dressage’, French for ‘training’, is a standard equestrian term. It means, roughly: training horses to move in complex patterns similar to a dance.)

But, of course, it is the château itself that forms the (literal and symbolic) center of the place. With 700 rooms no single visit could encompass more than a small percentage of the total.

Thousands of nobles and their servants lived here in the late 17th century, as Louis managed his government with tight reins within the palace gates. Which were always left open, interestingly, in order to give a sense that the palace was ‘owned by the people of France’.

Throughout the château are paintings, sculptures, wall hangings and structural elements drawn from all over Europe.

One of the main attractions, justly so, is the 73m (239ft) long La Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors). Bearing no resemblance to a fun-house, the high mirrors line the walls on one side with seventy windows open to the gardens on the other. Still impressive, the mirrors were the latest technology of the time and awed even jaded visitors. Set off by Corinthian pillars of green marble, the room (which once hosted many a formal dance) still dazzles.

Viewed by thousands of visitors daily, the château can be quite hot and stuffy in the summer, even outdoors. Dress appropriately. The grounds and palace are open year round and can be reached via the RER line C: Versailles – Rive Gauche.

Hotels in Paris 

Friedensreich Hundertwasser was one of the most controversial architects in history. He was called “the king of five skins ” (It was taken from his theory, that every man possesses five skins: natural skin, clothes house, social environment and planet). He maniacally postulated the protection of environment. So on one of the meetings he even prepared a meal of nettles that caused stomach inflammation the long standing treatment. He died in 2000.

He crated one of the main tourist attractions of Vienna and Europe. The Hundertwasserhaus, that is the House of Hundertwasser, is the attempt to show in architecture a union of man and nature. The escape from regularity , symmetry and straight lines proves his exceptionality. Hundertwasser hated straight lines treating them as “ungodly and immoral ”. Therefore his house looks like it is of rubber and it seems not to have right to stand stably. The postulate of rejection of straight lines the architect contained in his “Mould Manifesto”, which was read for the first time in 1958 during the International Meeting of Art and Architecture in Seckau. Besides these specific views, he became famous because of the way of performing – he often appeared in public completely naked.

In 1983 the town council of Vienna offered Hundertwasser to build a house at Lowegasse. It was quite risky order because the architect mixed baroque colonnades, irregularily put windows, different colours of each flat, mosaic and cupola or plants. It was also risky because Hundertwasser did not give the workers exact instructions so they worked according to their individual inclinations. He claimed that “everyone, who works for him, likes him ”. The building was led by the architect Jozef Krawin. The house was open in 1985, but it was given to use a year later, and on the first day over 70 thousand visitors wanted to sightsee it.. The plants are natural element of Hundertwasser’s projects. He thought that planting trees is an ecological action and cutting them down is a political move.

In the building there are 50 flats (from 30 to 150 m2), four restaurants, doctor’s surgery, 16 private and 3 public terraces. Around the house there are over 250 trees and shrubs. The house area is about 3550 m ² and it cost 6 millions Euro . The architect did not want the money for the project. He claimed that the consciousness that nothing ugly was built in this place was a sufficient payment for him .

Although this is one of the most significant places for sightseeing , tourists can admire it only from outside – because this is normally functioning house where residents live. The neighbouring places offers the wide choice of accomodation in hotels Vienna and apartments.

The Hundertwasserhaus is the first, but not the only apartment complex of this kind in the world. Similar buildings were also constructed in Plochingen (1998/1999), Darmstadt (called Waldspirale) and Magdeburg (Grune Zitadelle).

Hundertwasser was underestimated by critics and the public, because of his extremely difficult theories. He was a man who presened unconventional opinions. And he created the building which is well-known in the whole world and about which students learn at art history or architecture studies . Thanks to Hundertwasserhaus Vienna has its symbol of postmodermistic art and hundreds of thousands of interested tourists.

The tallest building of Vienna (50 metres higher than Millennium Tower) is at 4 Donauturmstrasse on the area of Donauparku ( a garden created in 1963-64). It is between Dunaube and Old Danaube, the centre of Vienna, Florisdorf and Donaustadt. This relatively new tourist attraction of Austrian capital is only 40 years old, but it has 252 metres of height. The tower was designed by prof. Hannes Lintl in 1962 . In 2001 the architect was awarded Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art. His projects are also television towers in Bagdad (destroyed during the war), in Montreal and Djakarta. The building of the Danaube Tower started on October 12 and continued for next 18 months. In 1964 Austrian president Adolf Schärf officially opened the tower.

The Donauturm or “Neue” (“New” – as it is called now) was built for the International Horticultural Show of Vienna. The originator of the project was Eberhard Födisch. The building belongs to the WFGT (The World Federation Of Great Towers) alongside Japanese Tokyo Tower, Chinese Oriental Pearl Tower and Canadian CN Tower. It is the 19th highest tower in the world.

The Dunaube Tower has three lookout levels that offer panoramic view of Vienna. The first observation deck is located at a height of 150 metres. The tourists get there in an elevator (It takes only 35 seconds to get to the top of the tower because the elevator races upwards at 22 kilometres per hour. It can take fourteen people. In 1964 it was the quickest lift in Europe.) or they can climb the stairs (According to different sources there are 775 or 779 steps). The new attraction of Dunabe Tower is bungee jumping but that can be done only in the summer. Ten and twenty metres above the first observation deck there are rotating restaurants (The floor in the restaurant rotates once every half an hour.), where guests having tasty meal can enjoy the view of Vienna . Tourists especially enjoy the view of setting sun over Wienerwald.

On the top of the tower there are also antennas of cellular phone networks and private VHF radio stations (like Radio Arabella Wien, Radio Orange, Sunshine Radio or Radio Stephansdom and a few other antennas of radio communication). Although the Danube Tower is similar to television towers it is not used to television broadcasting. (The tower in Kahlenberg is used to that).

In the neighbourhood of the tower it is possible to find a lot of lodgings offering accommodation for tired guests of Vienna.

The Hofburg Palace, one of Viennese palaces, is surely the most impressive. The dynasty of Habsburg resided there for six centuries and every generation had its own contribution in the building extension. The first emperor who lived in Hofburg was Rudolf I (1279 r), and the last – Charles I (1918 r.). Nowadays in winter this is the official residence of Austrian president (In the summer the president resides in Schönbrunn Palace). It is a tradition that every Sunday the Vienna Boys Choir sings in Hofburg.

For six hundred years the main building was enlarged and there were built palaces (for example Amalia’s Palace from XVI century), chapels (Hofkapelle, Hofmusikkapelle, Burgkapelle – built by Frederic III and rebuilt in the baroque style by the empress Maria Teresa), museums (Naturhistorisches, Kunsthistorisches), the National Library, Treasury, the National Theatre, the Horse Riding School, and Stables.

The greatest architects worked at the project of the palace. Among them there were Filiberto Luchese, Lodovico Burnacini, Martino and Domenico Carlone, or Lukas von Hildebrandt, Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, and Johann Fischer von Erlach (he worked at the project of the library – Prunksaal).

Before the Hofburg Palace became the residence of Austria’s emperors it had been the seat of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The palace was probably constructed by Babenberges or Ottakar II the Great . The oldest part of the palace, Schweizerhof (the Swiss Court), was occupied by the Swiss Guard which in XIII century protected Hofburg. We can find there the Swiss Gate (which was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1533) and next to the gate there is a square, called In der Burg, with the statue of Francis II.

In the imperial apartments tourists can see rich decoration, furniture, tapestries, crystal chandeliers, or the collections of Chinese porcelain and table-services (Visitors can find the collections in the Silver Hall – Silberkammer). But the objects exhibited here are not the only things that tourists can admire in the rooms. Even if the Hofburg Palace is so important place on a map of Vienna, it is not as splendid as Schönbrunn, the summer residence, that is full of baroque decorating. Of course while visiting Hofburg we can not forget about the Imperial Treasury, where visitors can see amazing treasures such as 2860-carat Colombian emerald, 416-carat ruby, 492-carat aquamarine, Ferdinand’s goblet and a piece of the agate, or the Imperial Crown from X century and the insignia of Rudolf II from 1602. All these treasures are masterpieces of the worked jeweller. But in that place visitors can also admire sacred treasures like the piece of authentic Cross, the nail from crucifixion and thorn from the Crown of Thorns, or the ministers’ garments made from the most expensive and softest fabrics.

The Renaissance elements of the palace combine with the baroque architecture. And the best example of this combination is the Austrian National Library (Prunksaal) designed in 1723-1726 by the Fischer von Erlach family ( Joseph and his father Johann). It was Charles VI who ordered to build the library (Thanks to his so-called Pragmatic Sanction his daughter Maria Teresa Habsburg could inherit the throne from him). His statue is situated in the main dome which is decorated with frescos from Daniel Gran . In showcases visitors can see manuscripts from XV century which are open on beautifully decorated pages. People who are interested in this place can easily find the accommodation in that part of Vienna.

One November night in 1992 there was a fire in the palace. It started near Redoutensäle on Joseph Square. The fire destroyed the part of the roof and upper floor. The renovation of this part of the building was held to 1997. Now the ceiling is decorated with Josef Mikl’s paintings.