It is always a pleasure to return to Vienna the "City of Waltz". Our included excursion today was Panoramic Vienna a mix of bus and walking with our guide.

Vienna's Ringstrasse is 5.3 kilometers long. State Opera (built in the style of the Neo-Renaissance), the Parliament, City Hall (Flemish Gothic), the Burgtheater (New Baroque), the university (Neo-Renaissance) were all sight to see as we drove this road.

The Vienna State Opera is one of the leading opera houses in the world. Built in 1869, Heavily damaged in 1945, but reopened in 1955. The 1,709-seat concert hall each season schedules 350 performances of more than 60 different operas and ballets.

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world where the classic equestrian skills (haute école) have been preserved and are still practiced in their original form.

Vienna's Imperial Palace is thus one of the biggest integrated palace complexes in the world. The Gothic Hofburg Chapel, where the Vienna Boys' Choir performs during High Mass every Sunday, is a lasting reminder of the original medieval castle. The oldest part still in existence is the Swiss Wing with the imposing red-and-black Swiss Gate. Directly connected to it is the Amalienburg and the Leopold Wing, which today houses the official seat of the Austrian federal president. The open space between them bears the resounding name "In der Burg" (In the Castle). Further towards the city center, the Imperial Palace ends with St. Michael's Wing and its bronze dome. The complex continues along the Burggarten until it ends shortly before the Vienna State Opera. The final phase of construction, together with many Ringstrasse buildings, produced the most eye-catching section: The semicircular Neue Burg on Heldenplatz.

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the symbol of Vienna and also the very center of the city. At 136 meters in height, it is the tallest church in Austria. Construction of St. Stephen's Cathedral began in the 12th century and its interior changed repeatedly over the centuries until it was finally given its current Baroque appearance. On the roof of St. Stephen's Cathedral, colorful roof tiles were laid to create the Royal and Imperial double-headed eagle and the coat of arms of the city of Vienna.

Following our tour we spent time admiring the architecture.