Vienna Austria

 We arrived in Vienna after a much shorter, daytime train ride from Salzburg.  Vienna is the capital of Austria and much larger than Salzburg; almost 3 million population.  One of the difficult parts when visiting a large city for a short time is deciding what amazing sites to see.

Danubias Fountain at the Hofburg

Close up of Danubias Fountain

The bearded man is the river god Danubias.  He personifies the Danube River.  His arm is around Vindobono.  Vindobono was the name of a Roman settlement over 2,000 years ago that evolved into Vienna, so she represents the city.  Supporting the pedestal are three mythological mermen (half men, half fish).  In the first photo you can see eight females figures inside the niches flanking the fountain.  They represent the eight major tributaries of the Danube.

Franz Joseph II

Another Franz Joseph II

We encountered this gentleman many times in Vienna.  His mother was Maria Theresa, who ruled as queen for 40 years.  Her death in 1780 ended the Austrian Habsburg line.  This made Joseph II the first ruler of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.  He was also Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1765-1790.

Typical architecture of Vienna buildings

Huge rabbit atop a wurstelstand

My selection from the rabbit wurstelstand

We saw a wurstelstand on almost every corner of Vienna.  They sell sausage, hot dogs and other street food.  And it is pretty good food.

Sausage/brat/hot dog selection

Spire of St Michael's

St Michael's

Inside St Michael's

St Stephen's Cathedral

The Gothic cathedral is located in Stephensplatz, the epicenter of historic Vienna.  You can see an eclectic blend of architecture spanning 800 years.  It is a huge shopping area as well.  The most prominent building of course is the cathedral.  It was truly an awe to behold.  The north tower bell weighs 44,380 pounds (that's 22 tons!!).  The clapper adds another 1,800 pounds.  The roof contains 230,000 colored, glazed tiles.  The majority form zigzag and diamond patterns but the north roof is a huge double eagle mosaic representing the Habsburgs and the city's coat of arms.

Inside St Stephen's

School children in the square

Busy street full of shoppers and tourists

Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg Palace has over 2.5 million square feet of space in 2,600 rooms within 18 wings.  Today it is a disjointed network of museums.  Since WWII Hofburg has been the office and official residence of Austria's president.

Schonbrunn Palace and gardens

Schonbrunn Palace was the summer home and hunting grounds for the Habsburgs.  Most of what you see today resulted from Empress Maria Theresa's flamboyant imagination and excessive spending.  Since 1918 this architectural gem has been a museum owned by the Republic of Austria.

The above photo borrowed from the internet is what we expected to see at the palace.  It was undergoing extensive renovations and this is what greeted us at the gate.

Interior courtyard

Architectural details

Cannons flanking the walls

In the early months of our mission I read a fascinating book called The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts.  Until reading this book I had not heard of The Spanish Riding School in Vienna.  First, my plug for the book (you're welcome Elizabeth).  If you have any interest in WWII events, like horses or just enjoy a good read, take time to read this book.

The NY Times review describes it better than I could:

In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food.

With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army’s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses.

Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender.

A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor.

After reading the book, I told John we had to go to Austria and the Spanish Riding School was a must see.  Unfortunately we visited in July when the horses are on "holiday" in the countryside so we did not get to see them practice or perform.  There were only a few horses in residence when we toured the school.

Front entrance

Night view

The school is in the heart of busy Vienna, only a few blocks from St Stephen's Cathedral.  Looking at the building you would never imagine what takes place inside.

The arena 

Opposite end of arena

Empty stall

Each horse has a name plate above their stall

Tack room; everything labeled for individual horses

Practice arena located outside the main building

Lipizzaner horses performing

Except for the dirt floor, the show arena looks like a ballroom.  It was a disappointment not to see a performance of the magnificent Lipizzaner horses.

Vienna is a beautiful city, well worth the visit.

Next stop Frankfurt Germany.