Austria 2015, part 6 (Vienna)
At the very beginning of these stories about travelling in Austria in May 2015, I mentioned that the occasion was the birthday celebration of my friend Željko, with whom I originally went to high school and with whom I have remained friends to this day. It was one of his milestone birthdays and that always calls for a very special celebration. This time, Vienna was chosen and a formal dinner was scheduled, but the “festivities,” that is, the gatherings of friends, lasted for several days. Of course, I wasn’t the only one invited, so to start with, I arranged to stay in a room in a flat rented by Željko’s friend from London, whom I had met a year or two earlier when he was in Belgrade.
At that time, I wasn’t experienced in booking accommodation in flats, while hotels were too expensive, so it suited me very well to have someone else reserve a room for me.
In the end, I spent 3–4 days in Vienna, mostly socialising and laughing with a very fun and colourful group of people. Sightseeing was kept to a minimum, partly due to the fact that, except for the first afternoon, the weather was cold and cloudy, and one day it even rained heavily almost from morning until evening.
To begin with, I took a train from Semmering to Vienna.
I found it particularly interesting to take photos of the landscapes through the window at the beginning of this journey, as it reminded me of an exceptionally pleasant walk from the previous day. It was also charming to see parts of the famous railway and its surroundings from the perspective of the train.
Upon arriving in Vienna, I easily made my way by public transport to the flat where I had the room for me and there I met up with a couple of Željko’s friends, and I also received a key to the flat so that no one would have to depend on anyone else.
It should be noted that public transport in Vienna is very well organised and even though the flat was outside the city centre, I was able to get around nicely and quickly wherever I wanted. After leaving my things in the room, I wanted to head to the city centre and take a short walk there.
To start with, however, I first stopped for coffee and cake.
Namely, Vienna is known for its café culture (the so-called “Kaffeehaus”), where coffee is traditionally served with cakes. This tradition is even protected as intangible heritage. In addition, Viennese confectionery culture, as part of the broader Viennese cuisine that developed under the influence of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and combines elements of Central European cuisine, is particularly famous for its cakes and small pastries.
After this lovely and sweet break, I set off on a leisurely tour of the city centre.
This was actually also a kind of reminder, since a few years earlier I had visited Vienna for the first time and spent a week there intensively exploring the city and its landmarks. Considering how close Vienna is to Belgrade, it always seemed strange to me that it took me so many years to go there for the first time. Although I have no complaints about the city or its landmarks, I must admit that there is something unusual about my relationship with Vienna – a complete absence of emotion on my part. Everything is in order, beautiful, well-maintained, clean, full of history and culture, shining with its former significance and influence, while wealth existed in the past and is still maintained and visible today. And yet, I observe all of this with a rather flat feeling – no emotional stir at all.
So, after coffee and cake, I went for a walk and there I first took photos of the Vienna State Opera, one of the most famous opera houses in the world. It was built between 1861 and 1869 in the Neo-Renaissance style. During World War II, in 1945, the building was heavily damaged, but it was restored and reopened in 1955.
Next to the Vienna State Opera runs Kärntner Straße, which at the very next intersection, by the famous Hotel Sacher, turns into a pedestrian street.
Kärntner Straße is one of the most famous streets in the centre of Vienna and its pedestrian section is full of shops, cafés, and luxury boutiques.
The pedestrian section of the street ends at Stephansplatz, where St. Stephen’s Cathedral is located.
It is the most important Gothic church in Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The construction of the original church began in the 12th century, while its present Gothic appearance was shaped between the 14th and 16th centuries. The cathedral is about 107 m long and 34 m wide. The southern tower is approximately 136 m high and is one of the tallest in Austria. The northern tower is lower, about 68 m high, as it was never fully completed according to the original plans. The roof is covered with around 230,000 glazed tiles that form distinctive patterns.
While I was walking around here, the clouds briefly parted and the sun illuminated St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Inside, there are several altars, including the main one from the 17th century, created in the Baroque style. The cathedral was also heavily damaged during World War II, but it was restored after the war and reopened in 1952.
As the day was gradually coming to an end, I also went to the part of the Hofburg Palace where the Sisi Museum is located, but I only took photos it from the outside, as I had toured the museum during my previous visit to Vienna.
By the way, the Hofburg was formerly the imperial palace and is one of the most important historical buildings in Vienna. For over six centuries, the Hofburg Palace served as the main residence of the Habsburg dynasty and the political centre of the Holy Roman Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The complex was built and expanded from the 13th to the early 20th century, encompassing various architectural styles, from Gothic to Baroque and Classicism.
The palace consists of multiple wings and courtyards, including famous sections such as the Imperial Apartments, the Spanish Riding School and the National Library. Today, the Hofburg is the official residence of the President of Austria and an important administrative centre of the country. Within the palace complex are numerous museums, including the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Treasury. The complex covers an area of about 240,000 sq. m and contains more than 2,600 rooms.
As for the Sisi Museum, it is dedicated to the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898). The museum opened in 2004 and contains over 300 personal items that showcase the everyday life of this very popular empress. Elisabeth of Bavaria, known as Sisi, married Emperor Franz Joseph I at the age of 16, becoming Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She was famous for her exceptional beauty and behaviour that was deemed unconventional for a ruler. She was assassinated in 1898 in Geneva by an Italian anarchist.
But let me go with the story back to 2015, when after this walk through the centre of Vienna, I met up with the rest of the group and we all went together for an informal dinner and a pleasant gathering.
The socialising continued intensely the next day and at one point I walked with Željko and Omar to another part of the Hofburg. Specifically, we first went to Burggarten Park, where we goofed around a bit and took photos by the Mozart monument. We have always enjoyed both goofing around and taking pictures, but those photos are not for public display. There must be some limits in life.
In fact, the main reason we came here was to go to a very elegant restaurant located right next to the park, as a birthday dinner had been scheduled there, and a few final details still needed to be arranged.
Afterwards, we walked a little more together around the city centre, and then went to the flat where Željko and Omar were staying. A few more friends joined us there and everything was cheerful and pleasant.
The next day, I didn’t have any particular plans, so after lingering in the morning and having breakfast, I took public transport to the famous concert hall – the Musikverein. This is the hall where the renowned Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert is held every year. As I already hinted, I had no intention of touring anything; I was simply interested in arriving at the building and taking photos of it, because I have spent a good part of many 1 January mornings of my life watching and listening to the New Year’s Concert, so I somehow feel quite closely connected to this building. By the way, it was designed in the neoclassical style, opened in 1870 and is famous for its exceptional acoustics, which is likely why it was chosen as the venue for the traditional concerts.
And then it started to rain...
In order to avoid getting completely soaked and to actually “do” something instead of just sitting in cafés and eating cakes, I got on a tram and rode it around the city centre a bit; more precisely, around a part of the centre, since there are a couple of “semi-circular” tram lines.
At the time of my stay in Vienna, the Eurovision Song Contest was also taking place there and on that occasion, a suitable fair was organised on the square in front of the City Hall, aptly named Rathausplatz.
Since I had a jacket with a hood, I decided to take a short walk and ended up here. It turned out that at the Serbian booth there was a girl I had collaborated with a few times at work, so we were quite happy by this completely random reunion. Then we started chatting, as there weren’t many visitors, and soon a few guys joined us who apparently also knew her from before. Meanwhile, the rain started pouring, so I was quite glad to be able to spend some time in pleasant company, out of the reach of the rain.
By the way, the people of Vienna, on the occasion of the Eurovision Song Contest being held in their city, changed the glass on the traffic lights to illustrate the inclusive culture they promote. I don’t know what happened to these traffic lights after the contest.
On the other side of Rathausplatz, after crossing the major and busy Ringstraße, is the Burgtheater or the National Theatre. It was founded in 1741, while the current building was opened in 1888. This building was also heavily damaged during World War II, but it was restored and reopened in 1955.
Just a few hundred metres further is the Austrian Parliament Building, where the two chambers convene. Members of one chamber are elected through direct elections, while the other chamber consists of representatives of the Austrian federal states. The parliament building was constructed between 1874 and 1883 in the neoclassical style, strongly influenced by ancient Greek architecture. In fact, when you look at this building, it almost feels as if you were in Athens.
The parliament building was also damaged during World War II, but was later restored.
In front of the building is the famous Pallas Athena Fountain, erected between 1893 and 1902. In accordance with the design of the parliament building, the fundamental ancient Greek theme is carried over here as well, with the central figure being the goddess Athena, symbolising wisdom, reason, and just governance. For this reason, she was chosen as the symbol in front of the legislative institution.
In her hands, she holds a spear and a figure of Nike, the goddess of victory, symbolising the triumph of reason and law. On the lower levels of the fountain are allegorical figures representing the main rivers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time, emphasising the political and territorial unity of the state during its construction.
A little later, I returned to the flat where I had my room in order to get ready for the birthday celebration. It was very beautiful and festive, full of joy and emotion. Afterwards, we all took a short walk together, since the rain had stopped, but at some point we parted ways.
The next day, I decided to visit a museum after all. It really would have been a shame to be in Vienna and not enjoy at least one of the many museums on various subjects that the city offers. On this occasion, I went to one of the most important art museums in Austria and Europe – the Vienna Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien), which is also the largest art museum in the country.
The museum opened in 1891, at the same time as the Vienna Natural History Museum, which is located directly opposite on Maria-Theresa Square. In the centre of the square, which is designed like a garden, there is also a monument to this famous Austrian empress.
Maria Theresa (1717–1780) was the ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and one of the most important figures in Austrian history. She came to power in 1740 after the death of her father and her reign was marked by major reforms that modernised the state and strengthened central authority. She introduced compulsory primary education and improved administration, the judiciary, and the tax system. Maria Theresa was the mother of 16 children, including the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, famous for her cakes instead of bread.
As for the Vienna Museum of Art History, its construction in a monumental historicist style with Renaissance elements began in 1871, while it opened in 1891. The goal was to bring together in one place the collections of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts that the Habsburg monarchy had amassed over centuries.
But, as impressive as the building looked from the outside, perhaps its most striking feature, aside from the artworks themselves, is the monumental staircase, which is reached through the main entrance.
The staircase leads from the entrance hall to the museum’s main hall and is designed to visually prepare visitors for the tour of the collections. Its dimensions are impressive: the width is about 10 m, while the height of the main space is around 20 meters.
The walls and columns are decorated with frescoes and stuccoes, and although the project leader was Hans Makart, one of the most famous Austrian painters of the 19th century, nowadays it is particularly noteworthy that Gustav Klimt (1862–1918), as a young artist, was responsible for painting the allegories on the north wall of the monumental hall.
The museum houses some of the most famous and renowned paintings, but it also features Egyptian, Antiquity and numismatic collections. Here is a selection of mine:
I paid special attention to the ancient Egyptian collection.
After visiting the museum, I met up with Željko and the rest of the group, and we went for a nice lunch, followed by more socialising. The next day, I already returned home.
And finally, here is a map showing all the places I visited during this trip to Austria in May 2015.