The latticework spire of Stephansdom, St. Stephan's Cathedral, which ascends high above Vienna, took 73 years to erect and goes by the moniker of 'Steffl'. The masterpiece cathedral, which is Gothic for the most part, was built on the site of a 12th-century church of which the Romanesque remains, Giant's Gate and the Towers of the Heathens, are integrated into the complete structure. In 1359, under the order of Habsburg Duke Rudolf IV, it was re-created in Gothic style and there are dazzling chevrons on one end of the magnificently tiled roof, and the Austrian eagle on the other. The decorative Gothic stone pulpit was the work of expert craftsman Anton Pilgram in 1515. A mass grave and a bone house, being the final resting place of innumerable plague victims are inside the catacombs, as well as rows of urns which hold the internal organs of the Habsburgs.

You cannot miss the spire Vienna's Stephansdom, even if you tried, but it is worthwhile to take the time to go inside, and if you can stomach it, to go into the catacombs. Vienna is a city full of contrasts and one of the great capitals of Europe, and this is reflected even in the fine collection of outstanding Vienna hotels.