Vienna

I was told that Vienna is known for its beautiful architecture. One of the first places I visited was Neue Burg, or the New Castle wing of the Hofburg Palace. This palace has housed some of the most powerful people in European and Austrian history, including the Habsburg monarchy (rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). The palace currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria.

Neue Burg, the New Castle Wing of the Hofburg Palace

One of the most popular landmarks of the Austrian Capital is the State Vienna Opera, which is within walking distance of the Hofburg Palace.

Wiener Staatsoper (State Vienna Opera)

Another impressive building is Karlskirche, or St. Charles Church. Located in Karlsplatz, it is named in honor of Saint Charles Borromeo, a cardinal archbishop of Milan in the 16th century who was responsible for major reforms in the Catholic church.

Karlskirche (St. Charles Church)

While I did see several museums in Vienna from the outside, I only actually got to see the collection of the Albertina Museum.

Albertina Museum

One of the most popular waltzes is the Blue Danube waltz so I naturally wanted to see the Danube river while I was in Vienna. It is the second longest river in Europe (after the Volga) and it touches the border or passes through ten countries.

Danube River

Stephansdom or St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. As you can expect, this cathedral is pretty massive.

Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral)

I visited Schloss Schönbrunn, or Schönbrunn Palace, as part of a tour. I don't think the tour took us anywhere else but Schönbrunn itself is so massive that just going around its ground and taking photos can easily take up half a day. I didn't actually go into the palace, but with its 1,441 rooms, it used to be the summer residence of the Habsburgs.

Schloss Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Palace)

The Secession Building is an exhibition hall built in 1897. Secession apparently refers to the withdrawal of a group of rebel artists from the long-established fine art institution. The most remarkable thing about this building is its golden dome which some Viennese apparently describe or refer to as the 'golden cabbage'.

Secession Building

Other places in Vienna I got to see were the Wiener Riesenrad, a 64.75-metre Ferris wheel at the Wurstelprater amusement park, often simply called "Prater"...

Wiener Riesenrad (Ferris Wheel) at the Prater

the Soviet War Memorial...

Soviet War Memorial

Stadtpark (or City Park)...

Statue of Johann Strauss in Stadtpark

and the Parliament, which features Greek-style statues and architecture.

Parliament Building

Since it was summer when I was there, I spent one night at the Rathaus (City Hall) to enjoy the Rathaus Music Film Festival. This is held every summer at Rathausplatz. Entrance is free and there are a lot of places where you can get food and beer while you enjoy the show.

Enjoying a beer at the Rathaus Music Film Festival

Finally, I got a package from Pegasus that included a cake and coffee in Cafe Schwarzenberg. Being in Vienna, I needed to order the Sacher Torte, one of the most popular Viennese dishes. It is a specific type of chocolate cake that was invented by Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna.

Sacher torte in Cafe Schwarzenberg

Other places I got to see while I was there include the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Naturhistorisches Museum, the St. Francis of Assisi Church, and the Votive Church. That's a lot to have seen in just two and a half days, although of course this is also because I didn't spend time going inside a lot of these place since I didn't have a lot of time and I was already running low on funds. Nevertheless, it was still a great stay in a beautiful city. Up next: Salzburg.