Austria (Vienna)

Having arrived in Vienna earlier in the day than we had expected, we took the train into the city center.  As we walked up the stairs from the train stop we found ourselves in the heart of the city.  We were instantly impressed with the amazing Baroque architecture that surrounded us.  As we walked around that first night we discovered beautiful park after beautiful park and beautiful buildings after beautiful buildings.  After only a few hours we were excited to see what else Vienna had in store for us.

Our first sight after arriving, part of Vienna's Museum Quartier

Statue near Museum Quartier, there were many like this!

The next day we decided to look around the city more by walking along Ringstrasse, an aptly named street which circles the Vienna city center.  Though we did not know much about what we were looking at, an informative museum and walking tour filled us in later in our visit.  Some of the most beautiful sights along the street included the Parliament building, the State Opera House, the Imperial Palace and its gardens, the Museum Quartier, City Hall, and Karlskirche.  Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities we have been to; its combination of ornate, welcoming buildings with lush parks and gardens really left an impression on us.

Karlskirche

Parliament

 

After we worked our way around the outside of the city center, we decided to head straight in and explore some of the sights there.  The main attraction is St. Stephen’s Cathedral, an enormous and beautifully decorated church which was originally constructed in the 1200s.  We have seen our fair share of churches and cathedrals on our travels, but this one was possibly the most impressive.  We were also able to climb the church tower for a few euros to get a great view of the city, as well as some good exercise!  Later we were able to see a very cool exact comparison panorama picture from the top of the cathedral tower, one taken in 1860, and one in 2008.  Not far from the cathedral were some other important stops including the Holocaust Memorial and the Spanish Riding School.  The riding school is very prestigious and features shows with the famous Lipizzaner horses (Brittany!) that sell out weeks or months in advance.  We were able to catch a glimpse as the riders led their horses out of the stables.

St. Stephens Cathedral

Inside the cathedral

Courtyard in Spanish Riding School

Rose gardens, Imperial Palace in background

Any half decent blog (not saying ours is) about Vienna needs to mention something about the famous Habsburg family/dynasty which ruled Austria for 640 years, their reign ending only due to WWI.  This family shaped Austria and particularly Vienna during their time in power.  They used strategic marriages to extend Austria’s influence throughout large sections of Western Europe.  With a few exceptions, the Habsburgs were well liked by their people.  Though it was not always the case, large portions of time saw tolerance of diversity, and as a result the arts flourished.  Beethoven, Mozart, and many others called Vienna their home.  In the late 1800s, the Habsburgs decided a city wall was no longer needed and financed the construction of the Ringstrasse and many of the beautiful buildings which lay on it.  The size and grandeur of the public buildings is actually a result of planning for a Vienna with 4 million people, although due to historical events has hardly ever reached a population beyond 2 million.

The Habsburgs were not without indulgence however.  We visited not one, not two, but three incredible palaces- one being the Imperial Palace, the other two being their winter and summer palaces.  Each was built in the Baroque style and featured expansive gardens and impressive statues and fountains.  The Imperial Palace housed a rose garden filled with hundreds of various roses.  When walking through this garden we were taken aback by the powerful scent.  On the expansive grounds in their summer palace we discovered ancient Roman ruins…that were constructed by the Habsburgs to emulate real ruins.  However, we were slightly disappointed by these palaces because they seemed rather quaint in comparison to our summer and winter abodes.

The Winter Palace

The Summer Palace

Inge and Gary's

Right around the corner from our hostel was a small, authentic Austrian restaurant, Inge and Gary’s.  We had two great meals in this cozy establishment.  We had our first taste of schnitzel here, alongside real locals.  Seeing the dynamic of Inge and Gary, as well as that of the locals gave us a better idea of the Austrian culture outside of the tourist areas.  Around the corner from here was a pub with at least 70 specialty beers.  It was fun flipping through the menu, seeing the imported beers that we had already sampled in our travels.

After a great time in Vienna we were looking forward to some relaxation away from the cities up in the mountains in rural Grunau Im Almtal.