Post by Kim on Jan 19, 2002 10:51:12 GMT -5
19 January
Vienna, Austria
Vienna........baroque gone absolutely insane! What a town this is. Every building it seems is in direct competion with it's neighbors to outflaunt them. The majesty and wealth of the Hapsburgs right in your face at every turn. It is stunning. It's a big city, most easily done with a public transportation pass, but one could do it on foot if you just had too. There is a really 'grand' boulevard called 'The Ring' which circles round the old town and most of the sights are on this one street. And it is filled with more statuary and fabulous buildings than one can even imagine. As it was the 'seat' of the Austia Hungarian empire, it is filled with all the wealth that could be thrown at it, and it was considerable. It is filled with wonderful parks, plazas, town homes and royal residences. And more museums than you could visit in ten days.
A few kilometers outside town is the Schönbrunn Castle, the 'summer' palace of the Hapsburgs. Is said to be styled on Versailles, but quite honestly it put me more in mind of Charlottenbug Schloss in Berlin. But never mind, it is huge, yellow, and a visual delight. The grounds are immense and filled with other buildings like the Orangerie and the Palm House, and a huge maze.....it would take nearly a full day to see it all. I must admit though to a bit of a dissapointment in the audio tour offered. Very, very basic with a minimum of information offered, at least in English. I left there greatly wishing for more info indeed.
In town is the Hofburg, the 'main' residence and once again, a tremendously ornate and large place indeed. I visited the 'Treasure Rooms' where the crowns, jewels, robes, etc are kept and WOW! There were emeralds and rubies and more, bigger than my fist! The the gowns and robes, embroidered with gold and silver threads.... amazing.
For me personally the very best thing was the State Opera House. What a place! I took a tour and just walked around slackjawed. The place was built in the 1860's in the highest baroque style and it is a palace of marble and gilt, fabulous stairways and chandeliers you cannot imagine. The 'season' is 10 months long, a total of 300 performances, and it changes every single night. They do only opera and ballet there, no symphonies. Have 600 people working on the stage crew, in 3 shifts every single day. I would feel like I had died and gone to heaven!
Lastly I must meniton the Kunsthistoriches Museum (fine arts museum) across the ring from the Hofburg. It was designed and built as this museum and let me tell you, although it has a most impressive collection indeed, most of it from the Hapsburgs collections, the building itself is so beautiful. Once again, marble, gilt, sweeping stairways and corriders....it's hard to look at the 'art' and quit looking at the ceilings.... which are painted better it seems than some of the 'masterpieces' you are there to see.
Vienna is a strange city price wise. I found the accomodations and eatery's to be very reasonable.... but anything you want to see is over the top! Most museums are 9-12 euros and the palaces are also in the 10 euro range. BUT .....that 10 just gets you into the residence for example. Every single building or garden has it's own fee, the Orangerie is 5, the royal coach collection is 3.50, the maye is 2.50 and so on. To see everything at the Schornbrunn for example would be well over 35 euros! Add to that, they charge a damn 1 euro at the coat check! Outrageous!
But I have enjoyed this town very much. Especially so having just come from Poland. What a huge difference a couple of borders makes! Heading off to Salzberg next and then most likely into Italy. As always, hope this finds you all well. I got a winter storm alert today......for Cincinnati of course! Forgot to cancel that service.
till next time,
ginger
Vienna, Austria
Vienna........baroque gone absolutely insane! What a town this is. Every building it seems is in direct competion with it's neighbors to outflaunt them. The majesty and wealth of the Hapsburgs right in your face at every turn. It is stunning. It's a big city, most easily done with a public transportation pass, but one could do it on foot if you just had too. There is a really 'grand' boulevard called 'The Ring' which circles round the old town and most of the sights are on this one street. And it is filled with more statuary and fabulous buildings than one can even imagine. As it was the 'seat' of the Austia Hungarian empire, it is filled with all the wealth that could be thrown at it, and it was considerable. It is filled with wonderful parks, plazas, town homes and royal residences. And more museums than you could visit in ten days.
A few kilometers outside town is the Schönbrunn Castle, the 'summer' palace of the Hapsburgs. Is said to be styled on Versailles, but quite honestly it put me more in mind of Charlottenbug Schloss in Berlin. But never mind, it is huge, yellow, and a visual delight. The grounds are immense and filled with other buildings like the Orangerie and the Palm House, and a huge maze.....it would take nearly a full day to see it all. I must admit though to a bit of a dissapointment in the audio tour offered. Very, very basic with a minimum of information offered, at least in English. I left there greatly wishing for more info indeed.
In town is the Hofburg, the 'main' residence and once again, a tremendously ornate and large place indeed. I visited the 'Treasure Rooms' where the crowns, jewels, robes, etc are kept and WOW! There were emeralds and rubies and more, bigger than my fist! The the gowns and robes, embroidered with gold and silver threads.... amazing.
For me personally the very best thing was the State Opera House. What a place! I took a tour and just walked around slackjawed. The place was built in the 1860's in the highest baroque style and it is a palace of marble and gilt, fabulous stairways and chandeliers you cannot imagine. The 'season' is 10 months long, a total of 300 performances, and it changes every single night. They do only opera and ballet there, no symphonies. Have 600 people working on the stage crew, in 3 shifts every single day. I would feel like I had died and gone to heaven!
Lastly I must meniton the Kunsthistoriches Museum (fine arts museum) across the ring from the Hofburg. It was designed and built as this museum and let me tell you, although it has a most impressive collection indeed, most of it from the Hapsburgs collections, the building itself is so beautiful. Once again, marble, gilt, sweeping stairways and corriders....it's hard to look at the 'art' and quit looking at the ceilings.... which are painted better it seems than some of the 'masterpieces' you are there to see.
Vienna is a strange city price wise. I found the accomodations and eatery's to be very reasonable.... but anything you want to see is over the top! Most museums are 9-12 euros and the palaces are also in the 10 euro range. BUT .....that 10 just gets you into the residence for example. Every single building or garden has it's own fee, the Orangerie is 5, the royal coach collection is 3.50, the maye is 2.50 and so on. To see everything at the Schornbrunn for example would be well over 35 euros! Add to that, they charge a damn 1 euro at the coat check! Outrageous!
But I have enjoyed this town very much. Especially so having just come from Poland. What a huge difference a couple of borders makes! Heading off to Salzberg next and then most likely into Italy. As always, hope this finds you all well. I got a winter storm alert today......for Cincinnati of course! Forgot to cancel that service.
till next time,
ginger