The one upside of having no hot water is that getting ready takes about five minutes and so our misfortune turned in to an advantage and we were out and about before 9am. After a quick stop at the bakery for breakfast we made our way to the tube station to buy our Vienna Card, a three day pass which gives unlimited travel and discounted entry in to several attractions. One slight problem – nobody seemed to have a clue what we were talking about. We turned to our trusty Lonely Planet book which advises buying the card at the tourist information centre. Very straightforward. Well, it would have been if we hadn’t got lost for two hours. It wasn’t all bad, on our little detour we stumbled across St Stephenson Cathedral, which is actually quite hard to miss. Not only is it massive, it has also been around since the 12th century and I’m glad we managed a visit. We even made it up to the roof where Rory’s fear of heights and his wimpy reactions made the 5euro fee worth every cent.
From there we found the tourist office, bought our cards and then meandered to the Hoffberg Palace which is an “incredible show of imperial power and the depths of the imperial purse.” The Habsburgs, one of the most powerful empires Europe has ever seen, were based here for six centuries, from 1279 to 1918. The complex is beyond huge because apparently each new ruler didn’t fancy living in his predecessors old digs so they built their own. That adds up over six centuries.
Our first stop was the Kaiserappartements which houses the Sisi Museum. The museum focuses on the lives of Franz Josef and his wife the Empress Elizabeth, affectionately known as Sisi. The ticket includes an audio guide and while these are usually rubbish, I was seriously impressed with our one today. The first few rooms gave a glimpse in to imperial life by showing the cutlery and crockery used by the imperial family – we’re talking gold plates and silver spoons, literally. You then embark on a trip through the lives of Josef and Sisi who despite being shy, depressed and not particularly interested in being an Empress, became one of the most popular monarchs in Austrian history. Her popularity only increased after her assassination and it was genuinely interesting to learn about her life.
I tried to take a few pictures but it’s forbidden and they’re super strict. One woman literally shouted “no photos” when I got my phone out of my pocket. Talk about embarrassing. When we were all historied out we left the Sisi Museum and explored some of the surrounding buildings. It was then that we stumbled across the Natural History Museum. My feet were starting to ache and my breakfast pastry was a distant memory but I persevered and I’m glad I did. The museum is one of the most beautiful I’ve been to. Each room felt like an exhibition in itself with the beautiful ceilings and stunning views. Even the glass cases were elaborate with an old world beauty. It felt like Charles Darwin would walk out at any minute.
From the museum we walk past the Parliament building and the Rathaus. Yes, the City Hall is actually called the Rathaus. Perhaps we should adopt a similar name when referring to where our politicians live and work but that’s another argument that for another day. The City Hall was completed in 1883 and soars to 102m. It reminded me of the City Hall in Munich and I can certainly imagine how beautiful it is when the Christmas market comes to town. From here we hopped on the tram, stocked up on niceys and went back to the apartment.
Our last adventure of the night was dinner. We set off towards the City Centre and stopped to pick up some cupcakes from the TripAdvisor recommended Wein Cupcakes. The restaurant next door looked busy so we managed to grab the last table and we ordered something a little bit more traditional than pizza – beef goulash and schnitzel style chicken. I was pleasantly surprised by my ridiculously filling dinner and after dinner all that was left to do was waddle back to the apartment, watch some Netflix and rest up for another busy day tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment