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Sep – Oct 2021

Austria

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    September 17, 2021
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    St. Stephens Cathedral

    September 18, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Stephansdom, as this church is known in German, is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The 1st church on this site dates to the 12th century, but the Dom as it is today dates to the 14th century. Some archaeological work has suggested that the Dom is built on the site of an ancient cemetery dating to Roman times, suggesting that this site has had religious importance for as much as 2,000 years.
    The cathedral was undamaged in world war 2. However, just as much the Soviet army was entering the city, looters set fires that sent sparks to the cathedral roof that eventually collapsed, resulting in extensive damage. All of Austria stepped up to rebuild. People from across the country came to Vienna to volunteer to work. Every section of the country sponsored some part of the restoration. As one example, Vienna sponsored the roof of tiles weighing some 600 tons.
    The 1st picture is the cathedral looking from Stephansplatz. The 2nd is the front of the building. The 3rd is the main nave, and the 4th is a close up of the altar. The last picture is one of the side aisles.    Read more

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    Schloss Schönnbrunn

    September 19, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    This is the main summer home of the Hapsburg ruling family of Austria. This rococo palace of 1,441 rooms was built in it's current form in the 18th century by Maria Theresa.
    The pictures are all exterior as no photography is allowed inside the palace. There are lots of places on line where you can find interior pictures. I will say that the palace decor reminded me of some of the palaces in Russia that were built at about the same time.
    The 1st picture looks at the front of the Schloss. The 2nd picture is around back looking across the gardens to the hill with the Gloriette on top. The Gloriette is the 3rd picture. In general, a gloriette is a building in a garden on a hill. This dates to the late 18th century except that this is a reconstruction replacing the damage in world war 2.
    The 4th picture is of an archway built in the fashion of copying damaged architectural features of the ancient world.
    The last 2 pictures are more gardens. (There are lots!). In the 5th picture, the tall building houses tropical plants while the barely visible one story building behind it is houses desert plants.    Read more

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    Vienna 1st Impressions

    September 19, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Here are a few quick looks at one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There will be lots more posts from here.
    The 1st picture looks over the Schönbrunn Palace and the city of Vienna from the terrace of the Gloriette (see Schloss Schönbrunn post). The 2nd picture is the Wiener Staatsoper, the famous Vienna opera house. The 3rd picture is the statue of Mozart near the opera house with the G clef in flowers.
    The 4th picture is of the Demel Coffee House, dating to 1786 and was the pastry purveyor to the royal court. It is said to be one of the oldest coffee shops in Vienna.
    The 5th picture is the Art History Museum built to house the extensive collections of the royal family. Included are many works of cultures worldwide as well as the many curiosities gathered by the family.
    As Vienna is a center of the arts, there are many museums. For example, there is a mirror image building to the Art History museum that is the natural history museum. The last picture is a portion of another called Museumsquartier. This is a complex of a number of museums near the other major museums such as the Art History museum.    Read more

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    Hofburg, Vienna

    September 20, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    This is the home and center of government of the Hapsburg dynasty who ruled here for about 600 years, ending only in 1918 as they were on the losing side of world war 1. The Hofburg was begun in the 12th century and remodeled, enlarged and otherwise changed over the centuries.
    The 1st picture is of the main entrance to the Hofburg.
    The 2nd picture is of the portion of the palace built on the 13th century foundations. Behind that wall is the "home field" of the Vienna Boys Choir. The 3rd picture is one of the few examples in Vienna of renaissance art. It is a gate into that section of the palace in the previous picture. The Hapsburgs were deeply Roman Catholic, and the Counter- Reformation was big here. So the baroque over took and replaced renaissance architecture.
    The 4th picture is in the main courtyard of the Hofburg. You'll notice one floor has larger widows. This floor houses the royal apartments. The 5th picture is the rotunda in one of the entries to the main courtyard.
    The last picture is of the last part of the Hofburg that was built and shows how this building's importance continues beyond the Hapsburgs. It is from the balcony in the center that Hitler gave the speech that incorporated Austria into 3rd Reich. The building now houses offices of the Austrian Presidency.    Read more

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    Spanish Riding School

    September 20, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    This is the home of the world famous Lippizaner stallions. These pictures are of their stables, located as part of the Hofburg (see another post).
    In case you're wondering why it's the "Spanish" riding school, the Hapsburgs, at one time (for about 200 years), had 2 royal lines: one here in Austria and the other in Spain. When an Austrian king died without an heir, a Spanish Hapsburg was sent to take the throne. It is said he brought with him his favorite things, which included horses and all the related materials, teachers, etc.
    The flying horse in the last picture hangs over the center of the yard around which are the individual stalls for each horse. You can see an occasional head looking out of a stall here and there as it was dinner time when I was there, and the stallions where looking for their food.
    The riding school also includes a hall for training and shows that I didn't get to see. There are many sites online that show what these stallions are trained to do, all of which dates back to the days when these guys were warhorses.    Read more

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    Wiener Staatsoper

    September 22, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    These are pictures taken in the Vienna Opera House during a tour. Most of the building was severely damaged in world war 2. So, most of what you see is a reconstruction. However, the 1st 2 pictures are original. The 1st is the entry foyer. The 2nd they now call the tea room. This was the emperor's private room. There is a door to the left that accesses what had been the royal box. The 3rd picture is the view from the royal box. The tech crew on stage is busy setting up for Verdi's Othello. We only got to see the front of the house. There was much to much activity to allow access to the rest.
    The 4th picture is a look back into a part of the house from near the orchestra. The last 2 pictures are of 2 of the intermission rooms. The last one had been 8 separate rooms that were offices and apartments. This room is now called the Mahler Room as one of those 8 portions was Gustav Mahler's apartment.    Read more

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    More Viennese Impressions

    September 23, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    There is a lot in Vienna worth seeing. This post attempts to get some varied views of this city. The 1st picture is the Volkstheater located along the Ringstrasse not far from the Hofburg and Museumsquartier (see Vienna 1st impressions post). This was begun in the 19th century to extend access to these arts to more people.
    The 2nd picture is of the Graben. Graben, I'm told means ditch I'm German. This street is located on the filled in ditch/moat at the old city walls that are long gone. It is one of the most famous (and upscale) shopping streets in Vienna. In the distance you can make out the plague column, aka Trinity Column (with the golden statue on top). This was erected after the plague epidemic of 1679.
    The 3rd picture is of the Danube River. Vienna is one of the many major cities along the Danube. This picture looks upstream from one of the bridges. The river cruise port is on the left.
    The 4th picture is at the Naschmarkt, a popular spot in Vienna's food and market scene. This market traces its beginnings to the 16th century, and today has about 120 vendors, street food vendors and fine restaurants. I think I would describe it as a street market with a distinct, stereotypical Germanic feel.
    The last 2 pictures take us farther off the beaten path. Yppenplatz is an up and coming neighborhood, sometimes called the coolest neighborhood in Vienna. This area has become home to many immigrant groups and has attracted some creative types, too. The 5th picture is of the square with a number of interesting eateries. The last picture is of the Brunnenmarkt, less well-known but larger than the Naschmarkt, with 170 stalls stretched out along several blocks. This street market has a much less formal feeling. I do enjoy these markets.    Read more

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    Salzburg

    September 25, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Salzburg is best known for 2 things: this is Mozart's birthplace; and The Sound of Music was largely filmed here. This city is actually smaller than I expected, but there is a lot here. Look for more posts.
    The 1st picture looks upriver to the old town and the castle above. The 2nd picture is Mirabelle Palace and gardens, that probably look familiar from the SoM.
    The 3rd picture is the Mozartsteg, a foot bridge over the Salzach River that is said the be one of Maria vonTrapp's "favorite things".
    The 4th picture is the house where Mozart was born in the 2nd floor flat. (In the US, we would call it the 3rd floor.)
    The 5th picture is a typical street scene and in the last picture is the daily market (except Sundays) in the University plaza.    Read more

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    Salzburg Churches

    September 26, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    There are more churches in Salzburg than I can count. I'm sure somebody did, but given that this was a Roman Catholic principality, there are lots. In fact, I'm told there is only 1 protestant church in town, but I didn't don't find it open.
    These pictures try to show some of the variety here. The 1st picture isn't a church. It is an archway with a corridor above between the monastery and the Franciscan church. Unfortunately, the Franciscan church wasn't open.
    The 2nd picture is of the cathedral, looking over a bit of the St. Rupert festival. If it looks like a big church fair, that's no surprise. That's what it is, though the food is distinctly Austrian rather than what we find at fairs in the US (no surprise again). The 3rd picture is I side the cathedral, and the 4th picture is inside St. Peters, the Benedictine church of St. Peter's monastery.
    The 5th picture is of the Kollegienkirche, the university church. The church was begin in the late 17th century, and it is thought that Mozart's Missal Brevis in D minor was commissioned and premiered here.    Read more

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    Festung Hohensalzburg

    September 26, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Literally High Salzburg Fortress, this is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. It was begun in 1077, but built up at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg. If the terminology is unfamiliar, it refers to the leadership of a province of the church. Salzburg was not part of any other entity until it fell to Napoleon. As may be obvious, the wealth of "Salt Town" derived from salt mines nearby.
    The 1st picture looks up at the fortress walls from just outside the main gate. The 2nd picture looks through a castle arch out onto the main courtyard. The 3rd picture is of the side of the St. George chapel with interesting artwork.
    The 4th and 5th pictures are in the royal apartments. The 4th picture is in the main bedroom. Notice the open door to the left. This is an original garderobe (medieval toilet). The next picture is in the Golden Hall or entertaining chamber adjacent to bedroom. These are preserved/restored as original. Most of the rest of the castle interior has been modernized as museum space.
    The last picture is a rare exception to my last comment. This is in the castle chapel that has been excavated not too long ago. The items pictured preserve some of the original decorative artwork found during excavation.    Read more

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    More Salzburg

    September 26, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    ISTM that any trip to Salzburg has to recognize Mozart. Here is his statue (in the 1st picture) in, of all places, Mozartplatz, one of the main squares.
    The 2nd picture overlooks the city from the castle (see Festung Hohensalzburg post).
    The 3rd picture may look familiar from The Sound of Music. Atop this wall is where Maria was walking after leaving the convent. What looks like a tunnel at the bottom of the wall was built as an air raid shelter in world war 2. It's a parking garage now.
    The 4th picture is in the cemetery at St Peters Abbey. This is the cemetery where the vonTrapps hid during the movie, though it was filmed on a set in Hollywood.
    St. Peters Abbey is the 5th picture. This is where St. Rupert founded the abbey in the 7th century. His statue is over the door to the church (see the Salzburg Churches post). Salzburg developed from here. It is why Salzburg celebrates St Rupert's Day with an extended festival. (I happen to be here in the middle of it, and there are dirndls and lederhosen everywhere.) St. Peters remains an active abbey, housing both Benedictine and Franciscan monks. It is one of the oldest, being continuous since its founding.
    The last picture is in the church of Nonnberg Abbey. Yes, this is where Maria was. So start singing "You'll Never Walk Alone." It, too, is an active abbey, and it is said to be the one if the oldest convents, dating back to the founding of St Peter's. The 1st abbess was a relative of St. Rupert.    Read more

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    Oktoberfest, sorta

    September 26, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    There is another active monastery in Salzburg. This one is Augustinian, and they still brew their own beer. In fact, I'm told they have the largest beer hall in Austria. Officially, Oktoberfest was cancelled, but here I am sitting in the beer garden with a liter of beer in a stoneware mug. There are no songs, no raised mugs, no frauleins carrying 3 full mugs. I guess this is about as close as I'll get to it his year.
    The 1st picture makes this official. The 2nd picture is in the beer hall. It not only looks empty; it is empty because everyone is outside in the beer garden in the 3rd picture. No surprise; it's about 75°F and sunny just now.
    I admit, no wurst. Ribs tonight. Hey, this is Austria.    Read more

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    Waldbachstrub

    September 27, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    As I walked up towards the waterfall, I realized that this is my 1st experience of an alpine river. So instead of a picture of a Wasserfall near Hallstatt, here are a series of pictures along the river, beginning with the waterfall in the 1st 2 pictures. The 1st looks upstream and the 2nd looks down stream. The 3rd and 4th pictures are taken at a couple places that had signs noting that locally famous artists had painted and written about this stretch of river. The 5th picture looks toward where the Waldbachstrub empties into the Hallstattensee.
    The last is identified as a rock that fell into this narrow valley about 12,000 years ago. It is called Runenstein or rune stone. This picture tries to pick up what seem to be runes.    Read more

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    Hallstatt

    September 27, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    What a beautiful place. Hallstatt rightly is a UNESCO site. It is located on an Alpine lake at the foot of a mountain below a salt mine. Yes, this is still in the Salzburg principality with salt as the primary business and source of wealth. So it was under the rule of the Salzburg prince-archbishops (see the several Salzburg posts).
    The 1st picture is of Salzburg taken from the lake. The train station is on the other side with a ferry connection to the town. The 2nd and 3rd pictures look along the lake. Number 2 was in the morning, and 3 was taken in the afternoon. Weather changes in the Alps and dramatically affects the scenery.
    The 4th and 5th pictures look at how the town built up the mountainside. There is only a narrow strip along the lake. So going uphill was the only choice. The 4th picture picks up a small waterfall, right in the center.
    The last picture is a look at some of the waterfront buildings.    Read more

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    Mariazell Basílica

    September 29, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Also known as the Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, this is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Europe. The site dates back to the 13th century, but the current building dates to the 17th century.
    The 1st picture is of the front facade. The yellow in front of the door is a lift vehicle for some maintenance work in progress.
    The 2nd picture is in the nave looking at the very ornate Gnadenkapelle or grace chapel. This chapel is said to be located on the site of the 1st monastic cell here and serves as the chancel of the nave. If you look in the center of all the decorative work, you can make out a small white gown . This gown dresses a statue of Mary said to have been brought to the site by the first monks in the 12th century.
    If you look above the altar and altarpiece of the grace chapel, you can see that there is a large domed space behind the altar. This area houses the high altar shown in the 3rd picture and the stature of Mary of a pedestal.
    The last picture looks up at the main organ that dates to the 17th century, with numerous renovations and enhancements over the he centuries.    Read more

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    Mariazell

    September 29, 2021 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Mariazell is a hub of winter sports in the Austrian Alps and is said to be a favorite ski destination in this part of the world. The town is also well known for its Basilica (see another post).
    The 1st 2 pictures are in the Hauptplatz or main square. It is a lovely alpine town.
    The other 2 pictures are taken from the top of the tower on top of Bürgeralte, the mountain behind Mariazell. While the weather wasn't all that great, these pictures give you a feel for why Mariazell is popular as a ski destination and as an area of spectacular scenery. There may be no snow in evidence, but I can say that while standing atop that tower, it certainly felt like snow was close.    Read more

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    Schloss Eggenberg, Graz

    September 30, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    This schloss that dates back to the 15th century with modifications until at least the 17th century when it was essentially in its current form. While I didn't have time to visit inside, there are many sites on line with photos. I encourage you to take a look. The design of the schloss and the grounds are base on astronomy, astrology, alchemy and more: way too complex to relate here.
    The 1st picture looks at the palace. Schloss seems to be translated as castle or palace. It seems to me that the latter is most appropriate here.
    All the rest of the pictures are around the grounds. The 5th picture is of an apple and pear orchard. This is a new replacement of the orchard that had been a part of the site all along.
    The last picture is the ceiling inside the garden pavilion to give a sense of the baroque and rococo design influences.    Read more

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    Schloßberg, Graz

    October 1, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    In case you aren't familiar with ß in German, it is the equivalent of a double S in English. So, the Schlossberg of Graz is literally a mountain castle in a location that has evidently been fortified for more than 1,000 years. While the fortress was not conquered, it was demolished after the treaty with Napoleon required it. Today, the grounds are a park with a stage, restaurants and more.
    The 1st picture is is of one of the bastions as it exits today. It is restored and adapted, but this does give a sense of how formidable the site was.
    Pictures 2 and 3, the bell tower and clock tower, do date back to the old Schloss. I'm told that the people of Graz paid a ransom to save these from destruction. I can att st that both are still working. I was standing by the bell tower on the hour.
    The 4th picture is a look at a bit of the garden now in the castle grounds. The 5th picture is an old gate, and the 6th picture is a lion statue commemorating the defense of the nearby bastion against the much larger force under Napoleon.    Read more

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    Old Town Graz

    October 1, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    There is evidence of occupation around modern day Graz dating to prehistory, but records of settlement date to medieval times. Much of what we see today dates to the 16th century and after.
    The 1st picture looks over the old town from the Schlossberg. Likewise, the 2nd picture is of the Rathaus or town hall also taken from the Schlossberg. The Rathaus is on one side of the Hauptplatz or main square of old town Graz. The 3rd picture is of the Hauplatz today. It is filled with vendors in a local market, most of whom are street food vendors.
    Graz is known for many, many inner courtyards. This is probably the best known of them all: the Landhaus courtyard. The Landhaus dates to the 16th century and was used as a governmental building. It was designed and built by the Italian architect who rebuilt the Schlossberg.
    The 5th picture is in the Burggarten, now part of a city park. The building peeking through the trees is an orangerie built by the dukes who lived in the castle on the property. Today it is the seat of the governor of Styria, the local province
    The last picture is the opera house that dates to the end of the 19th century because I just have to include it.    Read more

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    Stiegenkirche, Old Town Graz

    October 1, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The oldest church in Graz, dating to the 14th century. I hadn't expected to give this place its own post, but it is so unusual I need to. The name means staircase church, and the 1st picture is of the entrance staircase that begins between businesses. The 2nd picture is of several bas reliefs in the stairway.
    The other 3 pictures are inside the sanctuary. The 3rd picture looks to the main altar in the nave while the 4th picture looks back from the chancel through the nave. The last picture is of a side chapel. After all the baroque and rococo churches, this seems almost iconoclastic.    Read more

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    Graz Cathedral and Mausoleum

    October 1, 2021 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The cathedral of St. Giles dates to the 15th century. The 1st picture is in the nave looking at the high altar. This cathedral was built by Frederick III.
    Of more interest to me is the mausoleum of Ferdinand II located on the same plaza. All the remaining pictures of this post are in the mausoleum.
    The building was begin in the 17th century and has a complex history. I found it unusual as I visited, and that is because it began as 2 buildings: a church consecrsted to St Catherine of Alexandria and the burial chapel of the emperor.
    The 2nd picture is what you see upon entering: the Catherine altar. The 3rd picture is of the burial chapel that is to the right of the Catherine altar. The crypts are below the burial chapel.
    The 4th picture is the Mary altar to the left of the Catherine altar. The final 2 pictures are if parts of the ceiling.    Read more

    Trip end
    October 1, 2021
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