Can i just say wow?! Vienna is a superb mix of old and new. There are grand palaces, churches and architecture to visually gorge on, but at the same time, it has a hopping nightlife and cultural scene. I was very surprised at how beautiful and enveloping it was. There was just so much to take in!
So much that I seriously underestimated how much time to give to this city. Four (not so whole) days is not enough! I had to make a choice – check out various museums or see the city. With other things I wanted to do, there wasn’t time for both. So I decided to walk around as much as I can during my stay to get the lay of the land. Plus, truth be told, I was experiencing a bit of museum fatigue.
Plus it’s a great excuse to come back for a second visit. Because as I found out, Vienna is all that and a bag of chips!
Here’s my city walk over a couple of days:
I started off at Stephansdom or St. Stephen’s Cathedral (natch!), which is the Gothic cathedral located at the heart of the city and one of Vienna’s most prominent landmark. It is affectionately nicknamed the “Stefl” by the Viennese. Especially impressive is its roof, comprised of 250,000 colourful tiles in the shape of the Habsburg coat of arms.
Here’s the former Imperial Hofburg Palace, which now houses the white Lipizzaner stallions and the Winter Riding School, various offices and a convention centre. What’s special about these stallions are that they’re born black and acquire their white coat between 4 and 10 years old. Unfortunately, I was unable to get tickets to see them.
This is kinda cool. The Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum buildings face each other across a square and its facades are exact mirror images of each other.
The white and gold Secession Building is a magnificent example of Art Nouveau. The most distinguishing feature is the gold dome, made of 3,000 gilt laurel leaves – which the Viennese affectionately call “the golden cabbage.” You’ll find the Secessionist movement’s motto above the entrance: “Der zeit ihre kunst. Der kunst ihre freiheit” or “To ever age its art, to art is freedom.” The 3 gorgon heads represent architecture, sculpture and painting.
One of my favourite things about Vienna is the Museumquartier – which used to be the former imperial stables with room for 600 horses! It is one of the world’s largest museum complexes, with 6 courtyards and 12 entrance gates. Here you’ll find the MUMOK, Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle and the Zoom Kindermuseum. And it’s a hang out spot for young people. When I happened upon it, there was the urban aesthetics festival going on in the square, complete with artists and DJs. Good vibes!
I must admit, I was missing home and my cats terribly, at this half-way point in my trip. I was in daily contact with Sean and would be able to see how Charlie was doing and “talk cat” to him. Of course, the convo was one-sided, although do cat purring in response to my voice count as talking back? So I found a cat cafe called Cafe Neko and spent some time with a few felines. Course, seeing a cat that looked just like Charlie didn’t help.
Vienna is even impressive at night, when the buildings are lit up. Just look at the Wiener Staatsoper or Vienna State Opera. Too bad that opera houses don’t stage operas in the summer.
Phew, right? That’s a lot to see in a couple of days. Except for touring the Capuchin Crypt, home to the Habsburg Imperial vault, I just focused on walking around the city centre and taking it all in – the baroque architecture, Art Nouveau architecture, large pedestrian squares, cobble stone streets, narrow alleyways, and the grandeur and buzz of it all.
View more photos of my trip on my Flickr album.
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