We had more places to visit than time, so we hired a driver in his new car to take us to the places we missed while visiting Vienna, Austria.
Our first stop was Hofburg Palace, which served as the political and ceremonial center of the Habsburg Empire for more than 600 years. Then, in 1918, the empire was dissolved, and Hofburg became the official residence and office of Austria's President.
Hofburg started as a medieval fortress in the 13th century and gradually expanded into one of Europe's largest palace complexes, containing 18 wings, 19 courtyards, and over 2,600 rooms. Open to the public are the Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Imperial Silver Collection, Imperial Treasury, and the Spanish Riding School. In the morning, visitors can watch training sessions for the world-famous white Lipizzaner horses.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square) in front of the palace features two famous statues: the Equestrian Statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy and the Equestrian Statue of Archduke Charles.
Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736) was one of the greatest military commanders in European history. He is best remembered for defeating the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Vienna (1683), winning the Battle of Zenta (1697), and fighting against France during the War of the Spanish Succession, including the famous Battle of Blenheim (1704).
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The second statue is The Equestrian Statue of Archduke Charles (Erzherzog Karl). He was also one of Austria's greatest military commanders and is best remembered for defeating Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Aspern-Essling in 1809. This battle handed Napoleon his first major defeat and ended the aura of French invincibility.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
A short distance away is Josefsplatz, a public square and one of the grand open squares of the Hofburg Palace complex. In the square stands the Emperor Joseph II Monument, the son of Empress Maria Theresa and one of the Habsburgs' most influential rulers.
In the larger-than-life bronze statue, Joseph II wears the robes of a Roman statesman rather than military attire, symbolizing him as a wise lawgiver and reformer. The pedestal relief panels depict allegorical figures representing the virtues and reforms associated with his reign - Justice, Clemency, Religion, and Civil Administration. Seated around the base are allegorical representations of the lands and peoples of the Habsburg Empire, emphasizing Joseph's role as ruler over many nations. The square leads to the famous Swiss Gate, built in 1552.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The inscription above the Swiss Gate is in Latin, translated to read "Ferdinand, King of the Romans, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, etc. In the year 1552." The double-headed eagle in the center is the imperial coat of arms of the Habsburg monarchy, and the shield on its chest is the Arms of Austria.
The gate leads to the Schweizerhof (Swiss Courtyard), one of the oldest courtyards of the Hofburg. Historically, this was a secured entrance to the private imperial quarter and was guarded by the Swiss who were sent here to protect the emperor; thus, the name "Swiss Gate."
From the Schweizerhof there are entrances to the Imperial Treasury and the Court Chapel, where the Vienna Boys' Choir often sings at Sunday Mass.
Austria's Parliament Building was designed after an ancient Greek temple because the architect believed Greek architecture symbolized democracy's origins.
Bronze horse tamer (Rossebandiger) statues are located on both sides of the building, and eight quadrigas are located along the roofline. The quadrigas represent the triumph of democratic government and the ideals that Parliament should uphold. Their symbolism includes victory through wisdom and law, rather than military conquest; the success of parliamentary deliberation, with Nike guiding the chariot; and the forward movement of the state, driven by reason and constitutional government.
The Pallas Athena Fountain in front of the building serves as an artistic representation of Wisdom, Justice, and Good Government, qualities considered essential for a democratic parliament. Gold leaf covers the top of the statue, making it shine brilliantly in the sunlight.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Burgtheater is Austria's National Theatre and one of the most prestigious German-language theaters in the world. The same architects who designed the Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches Museums built it between 1874 and 1888.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus) was built between 1872 and 1873, when many of the city's public buildings were created after the old city walls were removed. The tower is 98 meters (322 feet) tall and is topped by Vienna's famous Rathausmann - a 5.4-meter (17.7-foot) tall iron knight holding a banner. He has become a symbol of the city. In some places, sections of the old City Wall have been preserved. |
| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Cafe Landtmann has been one of Vienna's most famous and historic coffeehouses for more than 150 years.
Franz Landtmann founded it in 1873, and it quickly became a fashionable meeting place for the city's intellectual and cultural elite, including Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Marlene Dietrich, and numerous other Austrian politicians, writers, diplomats, and performers.
We planned to come back and try some of their famous Viennese Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel) or their Guglhupf, but we never made it. Add that to our bucket list for the next visit.
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is one of Europe's oldest art schools, dating back to 1692. It is known for its outstanding Picture Gallery, which houses masterpieces by Bosch, Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, and Van Dyck.
In front of the building is the Schiller Monument, a tall golden winged figure dedicated to the German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller. It was unveiled in 1876, the same year the Academy building was completed.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Votivkirche was commissioned in 1853 after a failed assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph I. The church was erected in thanksgiving for the emperor's survival and consecrated in 1879. It has a Neo-Gothic stone facade with pointed arches and clock faces on each tower just below the belfries. The twin spires are 99 meters tall (325 feet)
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Schottenkirche ("Church of Our Lady of the Scots"), located on Freyung Square, is one of Vienna's oldest continuously operating monasteries. It was founded in 1155 just after Vienna became the capital of the new Duchy of Austria. It is known as "A Monastery That Helped Build Vienna."
Irish Benedictine monks, known in medieval German as "Scots," established the monastery, and for nearly 900 years the abbey has served the community with worship and education.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Am Hof Square is the oldest square in Vienna and the location of Kirche am Hof, one of the oldest churches in Vienna. The church is officially known as the "Church of the Nine Choirs of Angels."
The church's origins date back to the late 10th century, when a small wooden chapel dedicated to St. Pancras served the Babenberg rulers. It was replaced with a stone church during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Construction on the current church began in the 1380s under Duke Albert III to serve the Carmelite Order. However, after significant fire damage in 1607, the Jesuits rebuilt the Gothic church, and added a Baroque facade in 1662. It is now one of Vienna's finest early Baroque church fonts. Three popes have appeared at the church's famous balcony overlooking the square, including Pope John Paul II in 1983 and Pope Benedic XVI in 2007.
Standing in the center of Am Hof Square is the Mariensaule (Marian Column), one of Vienna's oldest and most significant Baroque monuments. When Swedish forces withdrew from Austria in 1646, toward the end of the Thirty Years' War, without attacking Vienna, the emperor attributed the city's safety to the Virgin Mary's protection. In 1667, Emperor Leopold I erected the monument with the Virgin Mary standing atop a bronze column as the Immaculate Conception. Around the base are four armored putti (cherubs) defeating four enemies of humanity: the Lion (war), the Basilisk (plague), the Dragon (famine), and the Snake (Heresy or unbelief).
The rest of our car tour will continue in the next blog.
