I made it to Vienna earlier than expected-- at last, my OCD travel tendencies paid off, for I arrived at the Salzburg train station with so much time to spare before my planned train was to depart that I was able to get on a much earlier Zug (train).
I went straight to the Hofburg Imperial Palace, the preferred winter residence of the Habsburg dynasty (Marie Antoinette-- formerly Maria Antonia-- was born here). This is part of the palace, the National Library.
Another part of the Hofburg, which is located in the heart of Vienna. This man paused right as I was taking the photo-- and it just so happens that his clothing colour scheme exactly corresponds with the vibrant colours of the gate.
One of the three famous Winterhalter portraits of Empress 'Sisi'. This was Emperor Franz Joseph's study, and as you can see, he kept this painting of his beloved wife by his desk in his study. I found, as I learned more about the famed and beautifully tragic Empress Elisabeth, that I am quite fascinated with her. She was so modern in many ways, and so far above the inner tangles of the Viennese Imperial court.
The Hofburg housed several wonderful museums, including a showcase of many of the china and silver sets of the palace. This set in particular was spectacular: Queen Victoria gave it to one of the Habsburgs, but liked the set so much that she kept some of it in Buckingham Palace. I love the colours and the cutout sections.
There was a huge festival going on in front of the Wien Rathaus, complete with music, food, Bier, and so on. Everyone seemed to be running around in traditional garb and costumes-- it was a very high-energy event, whatever it was.
This is the Austrian National Theater, located right across from the Rathaus, in the center of the city.
This is Karlskirche, by Karlsplatz, a gorgeous building, surrounded by a great open space where children played, people lounged and read and sunbathed, and tourists gawked.
Another Platz by Karlsplatz-- the mist felt great on the hot day. Note the rough rocks that make up the fountain, amid the polished square of statues and sculptures.
I made my way to the favorite summer palace of the Habsburg dynasty: Schönbrunner Schloss, located a little bit away from the main part of the city. The palace has extensive gardens of labyrinths, flower gardens, and more. This is the Tiergarten (the zoo), a quite amazing building set within high hedges and winding paths of gravel.
This is a glimpse of Schönbrunner Schloss from the gardens. There were also little structures and buildings scattered around the grounds, which were fun to stumble upon.
Schönbrunner Schloss from the main courtyard. Quite impressive, as I thought, and I had fun running up the main starway to the top balcony (I wanted to see what Wien looked like from the vantage point of a Habsburg Kaiser).
I went straight to the Hofburg Imperial Palace, the preferred winter residence of the Habsburg dynasty (Marie Antoinette-- formerly Maria Antonia-- was born here). This is part of the palace, the National Library.
Another part of the Hofburg, which is located in the heart of Vienna. This man paused right as I was taking the photo-- and it just so happens that his clothing colour scheme exactly corresponds with the vibrant colours of the gate.
One of the three famous Winterhalter portraits of Empress 'Sisi'. This was Emperor Franz Joseph's study, and as you can see, he kept this painting of his beloved wife by his desk in his study. I found, as I learned more about the famed and beautifully tragic Empress Elisabeth, that I am quite fascinated with her. She was so modern in many ways, and so far above the inner tangles of the Viennese Imperial court.
The Hofburg housed several wonderful museums, including a showcase of many of the china and silver sets of the palace. This set in particular was spectacular: Queen Victoria gave it to one of the Habsburgs, but liked the set so much that she kept some of it in Buckingham Palace. I love the colours and the cutout sections.
There was a huge festival going on in front of the Wien Rathaus, complete with music, food, Bier, and so on. Everyone seemed to be running around in traditional garb and costumes-- it was a very high-energy event, whatever it was.
This is the Austrian National Theater, located right across from the Rathaus, in the center of the city.
This is Karlskirche, by Karlsplatz, a gorgeous building, surrounded by a great open space where children played, people lounged and read and sunbathed, and tourists gawked.
Another Platz by Karlsplatz-- the mist felt great on the hot day. Note the rough rocks that make up the fountain, amid the polished square of statues and sculptures.
I made my way to the favorite summer palace of the Habsburg dynasty: Schönbrunner Schloss, located a little bit away from the main part of the city. The palace has extensive gardens of labyrinths, flower gardens, and more. This is the Tiergarten (the zoo), a quite amazing building set within high hedges and winding paths of gravel.
This is a glimpse of Schönbrunner Schloss from the gardens. There were also little structures and buildings scattered around the grounds, which were fun to stumble upon.
Schönbrunner Schloss from the main courtyard. Quite impressive, as I thought, and I had fun running up the main starway to the top balcony (I wanted to see what Wien looked like from the vantage point of a Habsburg Kaiser).
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