Vienna's been around forever, but most of its architecture comes from the 17th through 19th centuries, , during the heyday of the Austrian empire and its ruling family, the Hapsburgs. It used to be a walled city, mostly to protect against Turkish invasions, but in the early 19th century the walls were ripped down to allow the city to expand. A very wide ring road was built in its place, and the road was lined with elaborate architectural statements, such as the City Hall at left and the Opera House at right. The interior of the Opera House is very grand, and we saw a performance of the Magic Flute, a definite highlight of our trip.