After
a day in Brno we traveled on to Vienna. Vienna was one of my favorite cities on
the entire trip. Everything was clean and classy. It was expensive of course,
but I did not expect anything else. I truly enjoyed everything that we saw in
Vienna, and I would be willing to return in a heartbeat.
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| Wachau Valley |
My
favorite aspect of geography that we saw in Austria was our day trip to the
Wachau Valley Vineyards. We biked through the gorgeous Wachau Valley, following
along the Danube to little villages and vineyards. This picturesque valley was
surrounded by mountains. As part of our day trip I was allowed to climb a
mountain to visit the ruins the castle where Richard the Lionheart was held
prisoner. The views of the valley were breathtaking. The Wachau Valley is a UNESCO
world heritage site and has been a major producer of white wines for centuries.
The modern villages, situated along the Danube, have grown out of their
medieval counterparts. This land has changed very little throughout time and as
we biked through the countryside it was almost like we could go back in time.
The entire area was beautiful and the wine was fantastic. I felt completely
rejuvenated my trip to the Wachau Valley despite the 18 mile bike ride.
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| The Art of Painting: Vermeer |
My
favorite academic activity in Vienna was our trip to the Kunsthistoriches
Museum. This massive art museum was the largest I have ever visited. I am by no
means an artist, but I took AP Art History in high school. I greatly enjoyed
that class, so I do have some background knowledge about how to look at and
appreciate art. When we were given time to look around I headed straight for
the Painting Gallery, because I knew what type of art I wanted to look at. The
museum hand a fantastic collection, and I was able to see many pieces I
remember learning about in high school. Some of the highlights of my visit
included viewing paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Raphael, Claesz, Caravaggio,
Titian, Van Eyk, and Brueghel. The audio guide that we had for going through
the museum was great. We could listen to further explanation about a painting
or painter if we were curious. I could have easily spent all day in the Picture
Gallery. It was rather overwhelming, but I loved visiting the Kunsthistoriches Museum.
It was a fantastic experience.
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| Madonna of the Meadow: Raphael |
My
favorite extra-curricular activity that I experienced in Vienna was my trip to
the Austrian Military Museum. I went to this museum because it boasts an
excellent World War I exhibit that includes the car and clothing of Archduke
Ferdinand. Unfortunately, the exhibit was being redesigned for the centennial
commemoration of the start of WWI. I still enjoyed the other exhibits we were
able to view. We got to see Austrian military uniforms throughout time as well
as different historical guns and weapons. I do not have much background
knowledge about particular weapons, but the changes throughout the decades were
interesting. The World War II exhibit was open, and this section of the museum
was excellent. There were many artifacts from this time period ranging from
military gear to Nazi propaganda. There was a yard out back completely filled
with Austrian military tanks. I really enjoyed the museum despite the initial
disappoint and I would recommend that anyone visiting Vienna stops by when the
World War I exhibit is open.
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| Military Museum |
In
Vienna I would suggest that everyone stops by Café Hawelka. This café has been
open and owned by the same family for over one hundred years. It was a favorite
meeting place for political dissidents. It is a small, intimate café with an
incredible vibe. I do not even like coffee, but while in a famous café in
Vienna I ordered coffee anyway. I ordered a drink called a Melange, which was
essentially a cappuccino, and it was excellent. I am still not a coffee
drinker, but I could drink it at Café Hawelka. The wait staff was incredible.
Our waiter reminded me of my perception of a proper butler. The owner of the
restaurant, the son of the original owner, walked around the café and shook
hands with all the guests. It was a great café experience that I would recommend
to anyone.
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| Cafe Hawelka |
I
had an excellent time in Vienna and someday I would love to go back. Next blog
post will be about my experiences in Budapest, Hungary.
References:
Café Leopold Hawelka. “Tradition
History.” Accessed July 15, 2014.
http://www.hawelka.at/cafe/de/geschichte/
Heeresgeschichtliches Musuem. “History.”
Accessed July 15, 2014.
http://www.hgm.at/en/museum/history.html
Kunsthistoriches Museum Wien. “Kunsthistorisches
Museum Wien.” Accessed July
15,
2014. http://www.khm.at/en/.
UNESCO.org. “Wachau Cultural Landscape.”
Accessed July 15, 2014.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/970.
Picture References:
1.
Emily
Herkert. Vienna from St. Stephens. June
11, 2014. Vienna, Austria.
2.
Emily
Herkert. Wachau Valley. June 14,
2014. Krems an der Donau, Austria.
3.
Emily
Herkert. The Art of Painting. June
12, 2014. Vienna, Austria.
4.
Emily
Herkert. Madonna of the Meadow. June
12, 2014. Vienna, Austria.
5.
Emily
Herkert. Military Museum. June 13,
2014. Vienna, Austria.
6.
Emily
Herkert. Café Hawelka. June 15, 2014.
Vienna Austria.
