Vienna's status as a mecca for music lovers is given a big helping hand by the glory that is the Musikverein. A concert hall for the Society of Friends of Music was already in existence in the early nineteenth century but it wasn't until the demolition of the city's medieval walls that things really went up a gear. In 1857 the Ringstrasse began to take shape, and plans were set in motion for the crowning jewel of Vienna's musical kingdom. Architect Theophil von Hansen created a sensation, and to this day the Musikverein endures as one of the worlds supreme venues, with connoisseurs counting it as one of the holy trinity in the acoustic realm (Boston's Symphony Hall and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw make up the trio). Today the hall provides a home for the Vienna Philharmonic, and aficionados from across the world descend for the famed New Year Concerts.
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