Vienna, Austria - Days 1 and 2
We arrived a day ahead of our My Way group in the historical cosmopolitan city of Vienna on a beautiful sunny day. We quickly got settled and began our sightseeing - at Stephansdom, St. Stephen's Cathedral. The magnificent spire is 445 ft. tall.
Looking up from Stephansplatz, the plaza in front of the church.
Stephansdom detail.
Sanctuary.
The High Altar.
Grand view looking west, our reward for climbing 343 steps up a narrow stairway to the top of the spire.
Vienna City Hall from Stephansdom spire.
Back down the stairs, we are among tourist buggies at Stephansplatz.
Rain clouds gather above Stephansdom, cooling the Platz with a brief shower.
Puddle bath in front of St. Stephen's.
Fountain of Austria's rivers by Rafeal Donner at Neuer Markt Platz.
Vienna State Opera House.
Art Nouveau detail - Donau riverside railing.
The Secession building, housing Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze.
Detail - Secession Medusas.
Detail - Secession owls. The building was built in 1898 - Klimt was ahead of his time!
Detail - Secession urn.
Naschmarkt. The best place to browse!
Transaction at Naschmarkt.
Dried treats at Naschmarkt. Time to start some "nasching" of our own.
While we enjoyed lunch from the freshest possible ingredients, we were treated to a strolling serenade.
Apartments surrounding Naschmarkt.
Apartments - detail.
A Klimt-ish facade (Klimtlich?).
Vienna City Hall.
City Hall from Rathausplatz.
Breezeway at City Hall.
Votive Church.
Graffiti artists display their work along the Danube.
Citybike Wien makes these bikes available for travelling about the city.
Train, canal, bus, car...
The new reflects the old.
Turnoff to our Hotel Schweizerhof. Right in the center of things, as were all our well-selected hotels.
New Palace at Hofburg Palace complex.
So many paintings at Kunsthistorisches museum - including paintings of paintings, this one by David Teniers of Archduke Leopold Wilhem and his collection.
Bruegel at Kunsthistorishes Museum - Children's Games, 1560.
Gustav Klimt fresco at Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Another Klimt fresco.
Gardens at Belvedere, where the art collection is exceptional.
Man and his steed at Upper Palace, Belvedere, contemplate construction cranes beyond the garden wall.
Goethe!
Mozart!
Strauss, with audience. Our grandson, Gavin, age 8, saw this picture and said, "Strauss looks like C-3PO".
Not a statue.
Wind power generation above dip net fishing houseboats - on the Danube.
Dip net fisher.
One of many dip net fishing cabins on Danube river bank.
St. Francis of Assisi Church at Mexikoplatz - named by the Austrian people to honor Mexico for being the only country that protested against the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938.
If M.C. Escher had designed a church, it might have looked like this.
Art is everywhere. The Spittelau waste incineration plant - Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Citroën - red.
Citroën - blue.
Vespas everywhere, too.
On the way to Restaurant Ofenloch. We thought they might get it right, having served meals here for over 300 years...
Yes, they did! When in Wien, must have Schnitzel.
Griechenbeisl restaurant (serving since 1447) where our Rick Steves My Way tour group met the first night. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Wagner, Strauss, Brahms all ate here before us. Right next door to the Greek Orthodox church.
Hotel Schweizerhof neighborhood - evening time.
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