To Vienna (Austria)

When I told people that I was taking a trip to Vienna, no one seemed very impressed, as they assumed I was going to the town down the road named Vienna to buy some groceries.   But the real VIENNA--what a delightful European city.  It was the home of the Habsburgs; the capital of the Austrian Empire; the center of the musical world.  The mid-size capital of a politically neutral county, I found Vienna full of charm and energy.  The cruise director of my recent journey was a young Austrian, enthusiastic, optimistic, and knowledgeable.

Vienna was smaller and quieter when my family first visited over 40 years ago during our European summer.  While traffic is more congested now (they, like the rest of the world, are doing major road repairs), there is still a relaxed atmosphere as people linger at the sidewalk cafes and famous coffee houses over Sachertortes (wonderful chocolate cake) and conversation.  Jenny and I enjoyed a decadent piece at the famous Demel Cafe. Almost any place you pick in Vienna has someone famous who ate, slept, studied, or visited there.  The Viennese became renown for their coffee and coffee houses after the Ottoman Turks were defeated in the  Battle of Vienna (Wien) in  1683 and fled, leaving their Turkish coffee beans and pots behind.  The Black Plague a few years earlier (1679) had  left behind a reduced population and, in the central square, a very Baroque ( and partly grotesque) statue built in gratitude for their salvation.

Like most of Europe, the Romans settled and then a series of "barbarians" took it over.   The Babenbergs started ruling in1156 and enjoyed prosperity during the era of the Crusades, as the town was at the crossroads.  One of the most distinctive features of Vienna, the inner Ringstrasse (Ring Road), was initially built as a ring of fortifications paid for by the English ransom for Richard the Lionheart who had offended their ruler's honor in the Crusades and was then captured when trying to sneak home via their land.

The Habsburgs, who ruled from 1246-1918, eventually turned the Ringstrasse into a wide avenue connecting fashionable homes, the massive Opera House, the Parliament, the Town Hall, and the Hofburg Palace.  Even today, the city's districts move out in concentric circles from the inner ring.

Vienna is a city of unique buildings, peaceful parks, many museums (120), and beautiful churches that are often filled with heavenly music.  St. Stephen's cathedral (Stephansdom) has been considered the heart of Vienna for eight centuries, though it has sustained damage from the wars and sieges, including  at the end of World War II by SS commandos.  Repaired, the cathedral now stands opposite the modern Haas Haus which captures its reflection in the glass windows.  Across the street from another side of the cathedral, there are photos showing what remained of the cathedral after the bombings. I was intrigued by the reflections of the rebuilt church in the photos of its destruction.

Vienna comfortably combines a wide range of architecture--gothic, baroque, neo-classic, art nouveau, and modern.  After a morning walking tour in 2006, Jenny and I stayed in town to wander the Ringstraase and surroundings (getting mildly displaced at times) from the University area to the Kursalon in Stadtpark for a concert that evening.  I remember being tired, but didn't realize how far we had walked until I later took that journey by bus.  Yet, how could I have been to Vienna three times and still missed the Chocolate Museum? Sounds like another trip to plan.  And more to tell in the next post.

Click link for slideshow: 
Vienna, Austria
 Music: Mozart, Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
More Information:www.vienna.info
http://www.danube-river.com/