Our next stop was Vienna, the capital of Austria. During our stay it was unfortunate that the weather was gray and foggy, but we were still fascinated by the historic buildings everywhere.
Most notable was the interior of St. Stephen’s Cathedral with it high arched ceilings and details on the pillars.
Exterior of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
The busy Wien Westbahnhof train station.
The train system in Austria was so on time, and the connections made traveling to different parts of the country very effortless. The cost does add up though!
We visited the Schönbrunn Palace, a World Heritage Site. The magnificent building is surrounded by gardens, orchards, and gates. All the rooms inside were maintained as how the Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth (Sisi) would have lived.
Two-faced statues in the Palace Park.
View from the Gloriette overlooking the Palace and palace grounds.
The Kronprinzengarten, the summer garden for the Emperor.
Newspaper display in the pedestrian districts.
We were fortunate to find last minute tickets to a performance inside the Vienna State Opera. We were at the top corner balcony, which had some of the stage obstructed but was good for taking photos.
The orchestra preparing for the evening’s performance.
Box sections, people that understood the language and dressed for the occasion. Needless to say we were a little wet from walking in the rain and carrying out backpacks…
The opera hall is impressive. Did you guys have the right clothing for the event? I don’t remember you packing anything resembling a dress shirt let alone a suit..
Comment by Horace — December 12, 2010 @ 1:20 am
[...] The older shop, cars, and flaky drywalls were a sharp contrast against the modern infarstructure in Austria. A Farming museum we happened to pass by with some very interesting machineries. Driving a rental [...]
Pingback by Sam’s Photo Blog » Europe Trip – Český Krumlov, Czech Republic — December 16, 2010 @ 6:13 pm