Vienna

[thalia_seawood]

Back from Vienna. We were really lucky with the weather; it was a bit overcast on Saturday, but cleared up on Sunday. I must have walked at least 10 km on Saturday, because I love discovering cities on foot. I always make sure to have one day where I basically walk everywhere instead of taking public transport. This way I get a feel for the city, see more details and understand how all the different areas form a whole. After the first big walk I'm also really good at finding my way around by instinct, e.g. I can say "The hotel is to the south-east, the Danube is to the north, etc."

Really like the architecture in Vienna. I've been to Vienna 3 times, but many years have passed since then and I forgot so many details.
My favorite is the Karlskirche, I love the elegance of the two columns in front of the church. (I didn't go inside though, because they ask 6 EUR entrance fee. It always annoys me when you have to pay entrance fee for a church. I'm willing to make donations, but IMO a church is a public building of prayer and I refuse to pay money to be allowed inside. End of mini-rant.)

By a stroke of luck, they had a Goya exhibition in the Kunsthistorisches Museum and, of course, I had to go there. Some of the paintings I would have liked to see (e.g. "The War") weren't part of the exhibition, but it was still worth it. Goya really painted remarkable portraits. he doesn't flatter the people he portrayed; instead you get the feeling that you see a lot of the person's characteristics.

p.s. The picture of the Karlskirche isn't by me; my camera had issues, i.e. my boyfriend forgot to load the akku and the thingy you need to charge the akku. :-)

Comments

[reposoir.livejournal.com]

The Kunsthistorisches Museum? *dies of envy* All the stuff there! Must take self one day because I swear there's a billion things I've studied that are located in that museum!

Also- the Kalskirche- is that late Baroque/Neoclassical? *curious*

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I only had 2 hours time for the museum, because we had to head back home. But still it was worth it. The architecture of the museum alone is worth seeing.

The church was built from 1713 - 1737 by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. It had been commissioned by the emperor Karl VI. (He had vowed to build a church if Vienna would be delivered from the plague.)
The style is Baroque. It offers some interesting variations on the traditional Baroque, however. Dome and portico are inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture, gatehouse and column show an oriental influence. The two column haave also been inspired by the the Trajan Column in Rome and show the life of Charles Borromeo, the saint the church is dedicated to.

[rayakina.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! Glad you had a lovely week-end in charming Vienna. Have already been there several times and I always feel very comfortable there. Yes, Karlskirche is very beautiful, can't remember that the entrance costs 6 EUR but the last time I went there it was closed anyway. What else have you seen?

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Architecture-wise Vienna is great. I walked from the hotel in the Schönbrunner Strasse to the Stephansdom and the Danube. Saw the Hofburg and the Burgtheater and, of course, the Opera house, and the Volkspark and several museum buildings and the Dorotheum. Went to a coffee house and spend some time enjoying the atmosphere and reading a book.
Didn't see Belvedere and Schönbrunn and the Hunderwasserhaus, as I had been there in the past. During one of my last visits I also had managed to see a Klimt exhibition. Lucky me. :-)

The one thing I totally disliked in Vienna was the advertising campaign of the right-wing FPÖ: "Wien für die Wiener.", "Österreich den Österreichern.", "Heimat im Herzen". And lots of other simplistic paroles that aim against anyone not born in Austria. It's like the 2nd world war has never happened or didn't concern them. In some ways I got the feeling that the time stopped in the beginning of the 20th century; somehow I got the vibe that people still yearn for the good, old times.

I like visiting Vienna, but due to this I wouldn't want to live there.

[rayakina.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're right, the nostalgic charme of Vienna brings also along this yearning for the "good old times". I agree with you, it's nice to go there for a trip but better not to live there. (Or only a short time...)
I assume you've seen the Opera House only from the outside? Actually, I've never been inside myself. At least, the last time I was in Vienna I saw a gorgeous performance of "Elisabeth" with a fantistic "Death", a young Hungarian who was eye candy as well as gifted with a beautiful voice...! Sigh! :-)

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

And I totally forgot to ask: How was your journey? :-)

[rayakina.livejournal.com]

Thanks, great, I think I'll write a bit in my LJ...