Photo Essay: Vienna & Vicinity

Hope you enjoy this photo essay of my Dad's just concluded trip to Vienna and vicinity.

View of the Danube

Kunsthistorisches Museum

Belvedere Palace

Schonbrunn Palace

Salzburg

Wachau Valley

Birthplace of Mozart

Notes from the trip:


This was perhaps the best ten days I have spent in recent years, enjoying art, architecture and above all leisure; and do whatever I wanted to do without being burdened by some tour company. Many years ago, I had passed through Vienna on a European tour, but never had the pleasure of seeing this magnificent city at close quarters. Now, that wish is fulfilled.

Vienna

This city is full of extraordinarily beautiful and architecturally magnificent buildings, palaces and cathedrals. It is impossible to describe all of them in an article of this size.

It is interesting and somewhat refreshing to note that the central part of the Vienna city does not have any multi-storied skyscrapers at all! This preserved the extraordinary beautiful buildings with eighteenth and nineteenth century architectural styles. However, Vienna is not devoid of buildings that are designed in modern architectural styles.    

The Vienna Opera House

The Vienna Opera House is one of the most famous opera houses in Europe.  The most striking aspect of this building is the imposing staircase with the statues of the seven free arts, made out of marble. The Schwind Foyer, the Gobelin Hall and the Marble Hall are some of the other areas that make this Opera House very unique.

Schönbrunn Palace

                                   

This 1,441 room architectural marvel is a former imperial summer residence of successive Habsburg monarchs. Except, perhaps the winter palace of the Russian Czars at St. Petersburg, no other palace in the world is as magnificent as is this palace.   The 'Millions Room', paneled with rosewood and decorated with valuable miniatures from India and Persia, is among the most beautifully decorated rooms in the palace. Schönbrunn Palace is well known for its magnificent gardens which are home to impressive fountains, statues, monuments, trees and flower beds.

 Kunsthistorisches Museum

It is one of the greatest museums in the world for two reasons. First, for the unique and magnificent exhibits in it and the other, the building itself, which is an architectural marvel. Two palatial buildings were built opposite to each other by Emperor Franz Joseph I around 1891, one for keeping the fine arts and the other as a Natural History Museum. The two museums have similar exteriors and face each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. The museum is filled with rare artifacts from the Habsburg emperors.

Hofburg Palace

                 

Hofburg Palace was the seat of power of Hofburg rulers for centuries until the end of World War I. Today, it is the official residence of the President of Austria.

Belvedere Palace

The palace consists of two separate buildings; the Upper and Lower Belvedere, which are connected by a stunning baroque style garden. Beautiful view of Vienna’s first district can be seen from the Upper Belvedere. It houses Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day as well as the world's largest Klimt collection, which include the original golden paintings - "The Kiss" and "Judith".

I made three delightful day trips outsider Vienna city. Each place has a character and style of its own and a beautiful diversion from the crowded tourist traps of Vienna City.

Salzburg

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of Salzburg state. The town of Mondsee is 28 km from Salzburg. It is where, the twin-towered baroque style St Michael’s Church is located. This Church became famous because the wedding scene of the VonTrapps in the film 'Sound of Music' was filmed there. The beautiful sculptured gardens of Mirabell Palace were a treat for the eyes.

Bratislava

Bratislava is the Capital of the Slovak Republic and is also called as the 'Beauty on the Danube' because of its natural beauty. Among the most recognizable sites of Bratislava is the castle. This majestic building sits on the top of a mountain and is eighty-five meters high above the Danube River.

Wachau Valley and Melk Abbe

Wachau valley is a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube River on the way to Melk Abbey - the Monastery. This area is also famous for high-quality wines.