Two Days in Vienna

Four years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe, specifically Germany and Austria. I traveled as part of a group of community college students and we went on a whirlwind trip. It has been my wish to go back to the places we visited especially Vienna and take my time soaking in the ambience and the sights we so quickly discovered.

We started out our trip in Vienna. I was so excited. This was my first trip out of the United States. We drove up to the baroque style building called the Hotel Regina. I walked into an elegant lobby with red walls and floor to ceiling mirrors. There were plush couches and chairs arranged in sitting areas. We were given a plush room with two twin beds, that looked down on a small courtyard where the sun shone through our window in the morning.

My roommate and I were eager to begin our sightseeing and had time on our own until noon the first day. We started with the wonderful buffet breakfast in the Cafe' Roth attached to the hotel. There was fresh fruit and pastries galore.

As a student of architecture, I was eager to begin sightseeing. We crossed the street to the VotivKirche, a church which was built at the order of the Emperor Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian in 1879. It was to show appreciation for a failed assassination attempt. The gothic architecture church is recognized by the spires and buttresses going into the sky. The detail of the spires and arches was incredible. Upon entrance to the church, there was complete quiet. The inside of the church was in complete contradiction to the outside where attention was given to every minute detail. There were wooden pews mindful of a simpler time and a simple altar. To the side in the back was a shelf full of the candles that were lit by travelers. This and all the churches we encountered were originally founded by the Roman Catholic Church.

Our next stop was by bus to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It was built by Hasnauer and Semper between 1871 and 1891. Here again the baroque style architecture was seen. Above the main entrance were two small domes with one very large dome between them. I could not wait to see the inside. When I stepped into the entrance I was in awe. The immense ceiling of the large dome was done in gold gilt. The detail of scroll work and opulent oval windows were just breathtaking. I could have stood all day in this awesome place built in a time without technology and still not have seen all the detail. It was overwhelming. I wanted to just lie on the floor and take it all in. There were arches around the perimeter with balconies built into the arches. Each one had a door that led to different parts of the museum. In front of us was a gold staircase that led to the upper floor. This museum holds one of the richest and most important art collections in the world. Here there were paintings by Rueben, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and many other painters of that time. Many of the paintings were floor to ceiling and deserved the time to take them in. The attention to detail was all consuming.

After stopping in the museum shop for a coffee and snack of german chocolate cake, we traveled on to the Hapsburg Imperial Apartments. These were built in the thirteenth century. There are twenty-two State and Imperial apartments used by the Emperor Franz Josef I and Empress Elizabeth Hapsburg. These apartments are still used today as government offices and are closed to the public, although there is a museum to the Hapsburgs on the first floor. Here again is a primary example of the baroque architecture of that time. The apartments were remarkable with a courtyard in which you could see statues on each side of an ornate dome at the top of the building. On one side is a clock which has angels with trumpets standing guard next to the crown of the royal family. The narrow archway into the courtyard was lined with statues of mythological figures. If you closed your eyes, you could imagine hearing the horses hooves on the cobblestones as the carriages came through the narrow tunnels.

We went through the museum showcasing furniture, kitchenware and table settings used by the Empress. Of most interest is the 40 foot or so long table of a pure gold table setting including soup tureens, plates, platters, gold eating utensils, and elaborate and ornate candelabras. The detail on these fine pieces is so indicative of this time period. This was a time when courtesans took pride in the work they did and the Emperor and Empress deserved nothing but the best and they received it in these pieces of artwork.

Unfortunately, this particular day it decided to rain, so the Blue Danube became the gray Danube. It was still beautiful seeing the city along the two sides of the famous river and seeing row boats on the water.

Our next stop was the Schloss Schonbrunn which is the name for the Summer Palace. Behind the Summer Palace is a monument to the Hapsburg Dynasty. As it sits on a hill, it can be seen before entering the palace. It is a magnificent sculpture of Neptune with horses and their riders. The Schloss Schonbrunn was rebuilt in 1695 by Hapsburg Emperor Leopold I for Empress Maria Theresa.

Following our path we encountered the Cathedral of St. Stephan which is noted for its one hundred thirty seven meter high spire. This gothic Stephanskirche or church has a cornerstone that was laid in April 1359 under Emperor Rudolph IV.

We next noticed a building with an ornate gold dome called the Jugendstil. It was built as an exhibition in 1897. Known as the Vienna Secession, it was to be a movement by the artists of the day to move away from the "isms". At the top of the building under the dome is a motto, "Der Zeitihre Kunst, der Kunst ihre Freiheit" translated as, "To time is own art, to art its own freedom."

This is a whirlwind tour of Vienna. We had missed the Museum of Natural History, Lipizzan Stallions, inside of St. Stephans Cathedral, State Opera House, National Theatre, Church of St. Charles, the inside of the Schonbrunn Palace, Prater, Danube Tower ,the Vienna International Centre and more. I was disappointed that we did not have more time.

There are tour guide services within the city and they can be found online at www.vienna-guide-service.com and www.pedal power.at There are also boat rides on the Danube which can be found at www.ddsg-blue-danube.at. I found the best priced travel packages for a trip to Vienna on www.travelocity.com.

If you love European history of the 1300's to Late 1800's, the architecture from 1300 to 1900, and the arts, you will love searching out the sights and sounds of Vienna. The music, art and architecture will astound you and leave you breathless. I would plan no less than one week in this historical romantic city and I look forward to my next trip there.