7-3-14 Thursday.

Photos -

After breakfast, you’ll enjoy a tour of Vienna, including the Ringstrasse, probably the greatest achievement of the Emperor Franz Joseph. This boulevard encircling the Innen Stadt was mapped out in the 1860s along the ramparts Joseph II had begun clearing 80 years prior.

The Neo-Classical buildings along the Ringstrasse bring together all the greatest architectural styles in an exuberant celebration of all that seemed possible during the Industrial Revolution.

The balance of the day is free to relax or explore on your own. You may want to stroll through the old Jewish Quarter and see the only Viennese synagogue to have survived 1938’s Kristallnacht. You may also want to visit the magnificent Hofburg Palace. This imposing palace was home to Austria’s Habsburg rulers since the 13th century. It’s an awe-inspiring, sprawling complex of buildings that originally served as a fortress (complete with drawbridge). Over the years, various Habsburgs added many touches, often Baroque in style.

Or you could explore St. Stephen’s Cathedral, whose stately spire has overlooked the city since the days of the Turkish attacks in 1683. With its Romanesque facade, Gothic tower, and Baroque altars, the cathedral embodies the Viennese art of balancing several great architectural styles in a single structure.

Dinner is on your own in Vienna this evening.