On Saturday I wandered around the city taking pictures. My first destination was Hundertwasser Haus. It was designed by the same person who designed the incinerator I showed you last week. It was really cool, an apartment building hidden in trees.
After I left Hundertwasser Haus, I took the Subway to the main city centre, Stephansdom.
The next few pictures are of a 500 year old stone pulpit. It was the most intricate piece of stone carving I have ever seen.
The outside of the cathedral is being cleaned and renovated, as it has absorbed about 800 years of dirt and smoke into its porous limestone.
After walking around the cathedral, I walked down the Fußgangerzone (pedestrian zone) to the Hofburg Palace.
Along the way I passed the fanciest looking H&M in existence.
Right across from this crazy marble and gold carved column.
The 'side entrance' of the Hofburg Palace is surrounded by fountains and statues, all carved out of white marble.
Across from the Palace is a city square
I walked along the street and found these ladies holding up a doorway. Just looking at them was inspiring. They must have been at least 3m high (the normal-sized right door is open so people can enter). How someone can carve statues like that out of solid stone and make them have such attitude is nothing short of amazing.
Around the back of the palace I found the Spanish riding school where the Lipizzan Stallions are (and always have been) trained.
Around another corner I found a small door to the National Library. For 3 Euros you could tour the State Hall. It was the most beautiful room I have ever seen. It reminded me of the library from Beauty and the Beast, but it was real, and better. There were fifty 2 story bookshelves filled with ancient leather-bound books, with secret doorways, dozens of marble statues, and an elaborately hand-painted ceiling. On display were gifts to the emperors and empresses dating back hundreds of years. If you're ever in Vienna, the State Hall of the National Library should be your first destination. You won't regret it. I took a ton of photos, but the no-flash stipulation rendered most of them too fuzzy.
Outside the Library I found this little courtyard deep within the Hofburg Palace.
I went through a small archway and came upon the front of the palace. Pictures can't capture the detail and overpowering presence of this building.
The front of the palace looks onto a large lawn and the Ringstraße (you can see city hall in the distance)
I decided to take a rest. So I sat down here on the lawn and read a few chapters of Treasure Island.
Between the Ringstraße and the large lawn is the People's Garden (Volksgarten). It was another amazing sight. The park must have contained thousands of rose bushes, comprised of hundreds of varieties, all in bloom. The pathways were lined with folding chairs packed with people of all ages out enjoying the nice day.
Across the Ringstraße from the Volksgarten is the Parliament buildings, designed in the style of ancient Greece to highlight their democratic nature.
Beside the Parliament Building is the Rathaus (city hall).
Directly in front of city hall was a large celebration for the 80th anniversary of the Austrian equivalent of Red-Cross. At one of the tents I got my first Wiener Schnitzel. It was delicious.
In true stereotypical Austrian fashion, my meal of Wiener Schnitzel was accompanied by a genuine Polka-Bank. They were great, and really funny, hauling people up to dance with them.
Directly across the street from the Rathaus is the Burgtheatre.
In another large park on the Rathaus side of the Ringstraße I sat down and read some more.
From there I decided to check out Albert-Schwiezer Haus, the place where I'll be living as of Canada Day. On the way I passed the Votivkirche (Votive Church) which is under renovation.
Hopefully you enjoyed those pictures. If you'd like to see more of something specific, talk to me online or comment on this post. If I have more pictures of something you're interested in, (I took about 150 in total) I'll add them.The city is amazing, but I still miss all of you like crazy. Keep in touch and keep me updated.
