Vienna
I stayed in Wombats hotel not because of the Australian connection, but because of its high rating on the booking site it use. The hostel is located in the Nachtmarket area. This a market bounded by two roads. The market included shops selling fresh food and specialty foods e.g. spices and nuts etc. At night it is happening eating place with bars and restaurants.
Next day I had a slow wander through the city. Its prosperity is palpable.
Walking Tour
I decided to take a walking tour offered by the hostel. As I have said in previous posts, these tours are generally good. Vienna, like most European cities, is ideal for such a tour in that most of the sights are in relative proximity.
The tour took in most of the major sights, including the Opera House, the Hertzberg Castles and the St Stephens’s Cathedral.
The guide was an interesting bloke. He made some interesting comments about Viennese society both past and present. He made the point that most of the famous people that have lived and worked in Vienna, have come from other places. Notable examples include, Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven. A notorious example is of course, that failed painter – one A Hitler.
The guide seemed to be a fan of the modern architectural movement of the early 20th Century. The leading exponent was an architect by the name of Joseph Oblrich. He worked with an artist by the name of Gustav Klimt who is famous for the paint called The Kiss and the Freeze which is an artistic representation of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
I wasn’t aware that Beethoven lived much of his live in Vienna
Nazi Memorial
The tour took us past the State Opera House and to the Nazis Memorial which is in a small park. I comprises a number of sculptures dealing with the period when the Nazis held power in Austria. The guide made the point that “rather than being invaded by Nazi Germany, Austria actually invited them in”.
There is a particularly, disturbing sculpture portraying a Jewish man on his knees cleaning the streets. Apparently this was a common punishment for being Jewish in the period prior and leading into WWII.
As noted previously, Austria was also the location of Concentration Camps during the war. Not a very pleasant chapter of a nation’s history.
Leopold Museum and Natural History Museum
I checked out the Leopold Museum of Modern Art. The main exhibit was of the work by Egon Schiele. Check out the Flickr link. The paintings are really good.
The National Museum must have the largest collection of stuffed animals on the planet. Check out the photo of the Koala. That taxidermist needs the take a close look at himself, if he is still alive (I suspect not).
Tram Ride
I decided to take a long trams ride to the end of the line. I often find this as good was to get a real sense of a city. Like most cites Vienna changes as you move from the inner city to the outer areas. The inner city is very prosperous, with magnificent architecture, high end shops, hotels, restaurants and apartments. As you move out things are less swank, but still the wealth of the city is oblivious. It appears to be difficult to find obviously poor and disadvantaged area.
Vienna University of Economics and Business
The main reason for including Vienna on this trip was to visit a relative and his family. He teaches at the Wirtschafts Universitat Wien and lives with his wife and family in St Viet an der Treisting which is about 50 klms south of the city.
The university has recent moved to a new campus. It was great to be given a personal tour of the campus by someone who works there. The architecture is very impressive, including a building designed by the notable London based architect Zaha Hadid. Check out the Flickr photos.
Palace
A visit to Vienna is not complete without a visit to Schonbrunn Palace. This was my second visit. This time I was very impressed.
The visit has aroused my interest in the Habsburg era. I must find a good book to read.
Flickr Links
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