rhythm reflection: Europe Day 6: Wien, AUSTRIA

Friday, 22 Dec 2006

Vienna! The city of music!

Coming from some background of music, it is no doubt one of my "dying to visit" destination, to experience the city, to see how it has given inspiration to the great composers, breathing the air that they breathed.

This romantic city of music was home to many famous composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Schubert. It was suggested that ‘during the period 1740-1800 more music of recognised greatness was composed in Vienna than in any other city of the world’.

From Budapest to Vienna

Beautiful plain all the way

I couldn't believe I was still thinking of work. What a slave! Not good, definitely NOT GOOD!

There were lots of mistletoes along the way. Sooooo CUTE!

The place we stayed

Random Pics

Albertinaplatz

The Albertina, located in the Innere Stadt (First District) of Vienna, is considered one of the most important museums on earth due to its famous graphic collection. It sits on one of the last remaining section of the fortifications of Vienna, the Augustian Bastion. It is founded in 1776 by Duke Herzog Albert of Saxe-Teschen.

The museum houses one of the largest and most important print room collections in the world with approximately 60,000 drawings and more than 1 million prints.

The museum is currently only open for exhibitions, whilst the print room remains closed.

Graben

Graben is one of the most important streets in Vienna's first district, quite close to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It is also serves as a main shopping area. It takes its name from the wall of one of the moats of the Roman encampment of Vindobona which was located there in ancient times.

A store dedicated to Mozart, selling souvernirs and gifts all relating to Mozart. Items range from Mozart chocolate, decors to T-shirt

The Mozart Cafe!

Even their Christmas tree decors are mozarted!

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Austria's most renowned gothic edifice, which was first built in 1147 and rebuilt and expanded over the centuries.

Visitor can climb the 343 steps to the tower-keeper's room to enjoy a breathtaking view of the city.

Gothic stone pulpit carved by master craftsman Anton Pilgram

The attention to details is unbelievable!

Tomb of emperor Frederick III

Hofburg Imperial Palace

Hofburg Imperial Palace is known as the winter-residence of the Habsburgs. It was original a castle built in the 13th century and only inhabited by the imperial family since 1918 due to the increasing power of the Habsburg dynasty. The palace is now the official residence of the President of Austria.

Augustinerkirche (St. Augustine's Church)

The church was founded in 1327, by Duke Frederick with a cloister for the Augustinian friars, hence the name. The church has been the parish church of the imperial palace since 1634 and was scene to many Habsburg weddings. There was the wedding of Maria Theresa to Duke Francis of Larraine in 1736 and later, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary (known as “Sisi”) was married here on 24th April 1854.

The pipe organ that was once played by Bach

Monument to Archduchess Marie Christine, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, sculpted by Antonio Canova, commissioned in 1798. The monument shows the procession of six characters into a tomb. The first three characters represent Virtue and her maids. The following three signify three ages of man (young/adult/old) as a metaphor of death looms regardless of age.