Zentralfriedhof

The Zentralfriedhof is the central cemetery in Vienna. It was opened in 1874 and it's the second largest in Europe, after Hamburg. With 3.3 million people buried in it, most of them are famous people, so it has a great attraction. Among people who visit the cemetery, especially the main attraction is for the music lovers, because most of the people buried there are famous musicians.

So, on June 22, 1888, the remains of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert were transferred to the section of the musicians, which also contains the remains of Antonio Salieri, Johannes Brahms and Strauss, as well as the monument to Mozart, whose body is buried in a mass grave and his exact whereabouts are still unknown.

Besides the Catholic section, there is also a Protestant, an Orthodox, and two Jewish cemeteries. Although the oldest of these, created in 1863, was destroyed by the Nazis during Kristallnacht, 60,000 graves still remain. The second Jewish cemetery was built in 1917 and is still used.

The church located in the center of the cemetery is named Karl-Borromäus-Kirche.

• Mozart's memorial

• Beethoven's grave

• Brahms grave

• Schubert's grave

• Johann Strauss (father) grave

• Johann Strauss (son) grave

• Josef Strauss grave

• Antonio Salieri's grave

Unusual Facts

-Vienna is the tenth largest city in the European Union.
-An essential souvenir when visiting the city are the famous Mozart chocolates.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART

Although Mozart was not born in Vienna, he lived most of his life in this city and deserves a special mention.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, and died on December 5, 1791. He was an Austrian composer and musician (violinist and pianist) master of Classicism, considered one of the most influential and prominent musicians in history.

Son of the violinist and composer Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang was a child prodigy who at age four was able to play simple melodies at the piano and compose small pieces. His father took him from court to court and from city to city to surprise the audiences with his extraordinary gifts. Munich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Paris and London were some of the capitals in which he recorded his talent before his tenth birthday.

Leopold never neglected the training of his son: it went with the best teachers of the day, such as Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach, in London, or father Martini in Bologna. It's the time of the first symphonies and operas of Mozart.

After settling in Vienna, Mozart's career entered its period of maturity. Masterpieces were produced: in the scenic field emerged singspieler: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail and Die Zauberflöte, score with which laid the foundation of the future German opera, and the three operas with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte Le Nozze Di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte, which exceeded genre conventions.

We must not forget Mozart Symphony production, especially his last three symphonies and his last seven concertos for piano and orchestra. Or his string quartets, piano sonatas and the unfinished Requiem. All mature works are expressions of the same miracle. His early death was undoubtedly one of the most painful losses in the history of music.

Traditional Food

The most classic Viennese dish is the Wienerschnitzel, a huge breaded escalope accompanied by a warm potato salad. 





Another famous dish is the Tafelspitz, consisting of beef cooked with vegetables, wine and spices. 



Global recognition recipes have big game such as deer, deer and wild boar, accompanied by red fruit sauces.

The cakes and pastries have a deserved reputation. The Sachertorte, black chocolate cake with apricot jam, is a culinary myth since its invention in 1832.

Traditional Clothing

Tracht: The Tracht is the Austrian costume for men. It is a native of rural clothing made of linen and loden. This costume consists of very specific elements: a hat, a jacket, a vest, shoe low and, most importantly, the leather pants, the famous Lederhosen. The Tracht is entirely handmade and embroidered with many small details that make it a unique and lifelong.

Dirndl: The dirndl is often related to the Tyrol region, but in reality is a suit worn by women from all regions of Austria, Bavaria and Liechtenstein, although in each of these areas the suit is slightly different, with details that show the region. The dirndl (which means "girl" in German dialect) is the best known Austrian garment, and women wear it as usual in the days part of every day, especially in the villages. It consists of a long flared skirt, a white blouse and an apron.

Famous inhabitants

Vienna, as we all know, is the City of Music since we remember, so we must highlight the most celebrated musicians who were born there.

Franz Schubert: (1797-1828). Austrian composer, considered introducer of musical Romanticism. It was a great composer of lieder (short compositions for voice and piano, predecessor of the modern song), as well as music for piano, chamber music and orchestral.

Johann Strauss (father): (1804-1849). Austrian composer known particularly for his waltzes. He was the founder of a musical dynasty with his children Johann Strauss (son), Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss.

Johann Strauss (son): (1825-1899). Austrian composer known particularly also for his waltzes. He was the most famous composer of family Strauss, known in his lifetime as "the waltz king". To him is largely due the popularity of the waltz in Vienna XIX century.

Arnold Schönberg: (1874-1951). Recognized as one of the first composers to delve into atonal composition, and especially by the creation of the twelve-tone technique. He was also the founder of the Second Viennese School.

Anton Webern: (1883-1945). Follower of Arnold Schoenberg, is one of the best known exponents of the twelve-tone, in addition, his innovations regarding the systematic organization of pitch, rhythm and dynamics were crucial to the musical style later known as serialism.

Alban Berg: (1885-1935). He ventured into atonality and twelve-tone then typing works related to the expressionist aesthetic, but his music also has a sound that evokes the tonality, the romanticism, and an inclination markedly dramatic.

Important Monuments

Ringstrasse: The Ringstrasse is the most important avenue of the city and was constructed in the same place where the old wall was. It contains the most famous buildings in Vienna.

Vienna State Opera: Undoubtedly the most important and well-known opera world. It is a neo-Renaissance building constructed between 1861 and 1869. It is the nerve center of the Viennese musical life and one of the centers of attraction of the musical world.

Hofburg Imperial Palace: The Hofburg Palace has been for over 600 years the residence of the Habsburgs. Today is the most visited place in Vienna and an essential visit.

Hundertwasserhaus: Hundertwasserhaus is a residential block built by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an Austrian artist quite like Gaudí.

Stadtpark: Open to the public since 1862, the City Park (Stadtpark) is the favorite park of the Viennese and tourists visiting the capital.

Spanish Riding School: The Spanish Riding School, established in 1572, is part of the Hofburg and is one of the leading institutions in Vienna. Their horses are known worldwide.

Austrian National Library: Built in the eighteenth century under the command of the Emperor Charles VI, the Austrian National Library is one of the most beautiful historical libraries in the world.

Mozart's House: Between 1784 and 1787, Mozart, the renowned composer of all time, and his family lived in this apartment Domgasse.

Vienna

Vienna is a city of Central Europe located on the banks of the Danube, in the valley of the Vienna Woods, at the base of the foothills of the Alps.

General characteristics

-It is the capital of Austria and one of its nine federal states.

-With a population of 1.712.903 inhabitants, Vienna is the biggest city, cultural and political center of Austria.
-Its metropolitan area has 2,4 million inhabitants.
-The official language is German.

-It has an important artistic heritage. It has always been one of the great music capitals of the world and one of the main cultural centers worldwide.

Important monuments

The Kremlin

It’s the most important monument. It’s a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River (to the South), Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square (to the East) and the Alexander Garden (to the West).

In 1990 the architectural art ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin together with the adjacent Red square was included into the List of UNESCO worldwide heritage.

The red square

The major and most famous square of the Russian capital appeared in Moscow at the end of the XV century during the reign of Ivan III. 

This Moscow ruler who was the first to obtain the title of Grand Prince of All Russia was known for consolidation of the Russian lands, as well as large-scale construction.

To fulfill this, Ivan III invited Italian and Greek architects and gathered the best Russian ones: the intensive reconstruction of the Kremlin started due to their efforts.

Theatre Square 

Theatre Square (Teatralnaya Square) is one of Moscow’s most glorious squares.

 It derives its name from the theatres located on it: the world-renowned Bolshoi Theatre, Maly Theatre and the Russian Academic Youth Theatre (formerly Central Children’s Theatre).

For a certain period in the beginning of the 19^th century, the square held the name Petrovskaya, thanks to the adjacent Petrovka Street. Yet after the theatres were constructed, the square received its current name.

Make Way for Ducklings 

This unusual monument has been fixed up in the park near the Novodevichy Convent. 

The duck is called Mrs. Mallard, and she came to the Moscow Park from the United States of America. There, in the Boston Central Park, there is exactly the same statutory group.  

Iberian Gate (Iverskie vorota)

Iberian Gate (Iverskie vorota) is formed by two arc spans with overbuilt double-store chambers of red brick with two octagonal marquises. The Iverskaya Chasovnya is situated between them. 

Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa History 

The Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa History showcases the products of Russia’s most renowned chocolate factories — Red October, Babayevsky Concern and Rot Front. 

Historical Museum (SHM) 

The work on formation of the permanent exhibition was founded in 1872 and it came to the end only in 2006.

 Every new decade showed the necessity of a new approach to what should be displayed first before the visitors. About 22,000 objects are constantly displayed in the museum.

The Museum building attracts special interest. Made of hard-burned brick, it harmoniously fits the ensemble of the Kremlin and Red Square. 

Hermitage Garden

Hermitage Garden is one of the oldest recreation places in the Russian capital: it celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2004.

The garden is located in the centre of Moscow. It has three theaters, the famous outdoors stage, a water fountain and children`s playground with rides.

 The garden features a monument dedicated to “All People in Love”, a Tea Culture Club, an art studio, a dancing studio and some restaurants.

The Hermitage Garden for many years has been the venue for annual jazz festivals, including the Moscow festival of brass music: “Moscow Brass Seasons”.

Russian Ballet

  Russian ballet

Russia is well-known for its ballet. In the early 19th century, the theaters were opened up to anyone who could afford a ticket.

There was a seating section called a rayok, or 'paradise gallery’, that consisted of simple wooden benches. 

This allowed non-wealthy people access to the ballet, because tickets in this section were inexpensive.

There are a lot of a ballet companies in Moscow, such as the Bolshoi Ballet.

Names structure

Russian names are comprised of:

-A first name, which is the person's given name.

-A middle name, which is a version of the father's first name formed by adding '- vich' or '-ovich' for a male and '-avna' or '- ovna' for a female.

-A last name, which is the family or surname. 

Customs

   Gift giving customs

When you are invited to a Russian home for a meal, you should bring a small gift, male guests are expected to bring flowers, but never yellow. 

When you want to give a baby gift, you have to wait until after the baby is born. It is bad luck to do it sooner.

 Greeting customs

The typical greeting is a firm, almost bone-crushing handshake while maintaining direct eye contact and giving the appropriate greeting for  the time of day. 

- When men shake hands with women, the handshake is less firm.

-When female friends meet, they kiss on the cheek three times, starting with the left and then alternating. 

-When close male friends meet, they may pat each other on the back and hug.

Famous inhabitants

Anna Kournikova

She’s a famous tennis player born in 1981.

With Martina Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002. She never won a WTA Title in singles.

Traditional food

      Traditional food

About food, there are plenty of different dishes. Some examples are these:

Shchi (cabbage soup) is a cold soup that had been the predominant first course in Russian cuisine for over a thousand years. It can be eaten regularly, and at any time of the year.

The richer variant of shchi includes several ingredients, but the first and last components are cabbage, meat (very rarely fish or mushrooms), carrots, basil or parsley roots, spicy herbs (onions, celery, dill, garlic, pepper, bay leaf) and sour components (smetana, apples, sauerkraut, pickle water).

Kholodets: Jellied chopped pieces of pork or veal meat with some spices added and minor amounts of vegetables.  The meat is boiled in large pieces for long periods of time, then chopped, boiled a few times again and finally chilled for 3–4 hours forming a jelly mass, though gelatine is not used because calves' feet, pigs' heads and other such offal is gelatinous enough on its own. It is served with horseradish, mustard, or ground garlic with smetana.

Syrniki are fried curd fritters, garnished with sour cream, jam, honey, and/or apple sauce.

Vatrushka is a kind of cake with a ring of dough and tvorog (cottage cheese) in the middle, often with raisins or bits of fruit, from about five inches to two and a half feet in diameter.