Vienna
Vienna is synonymous with classical music, royal history, and high living. It's the birthplace of the cafe, home to Habsburg history, and alive with culture. Stroll the Danube, savor the famous Sacher Torte, and surround yourself with music.
Vienna's love of culture is evident by its numerous museums, churches, music venues, and restaurants. Cafes are extended living rooms. As Austrians tell me: "In America, most people take their Starbucks and go. In Austria, even in Starbucks people like to sit and talk."
At the same time, the Viennese enjoy the good life. Says our local guide jokingly, "Look, no one's working. Even the construction guys, they're always sitting down!" Park amenities include hammocks. The main square is covered with benches that double as loungers and beds. Upscale shopping districts are attractive, and most stores have their own security guard. Danube Island is a peaceful oasis for bikers, sunbathers, and families, while Prater Amusement Park is the city's own little Disneyland.
HIGHLIGHTS:
-Walking tour of Vienna with local guide Gerhard, including visits to St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna Opera House, and the Hofburg Palace, including the Imperial Apartments and Treasury.
-Wandering around and eating in the Spittelberg Quarter.
-A lazy afternoon on Danube Island.
-Touring the Haus der Musik.
Vienna's love of culture is evident by its numerous museums, churches, music venues, and restaurants. Cafes are extended living rooms. As Austrians tell me: "In America, most people take their Starbucks and go. In Austria, even in Starbucks people like to sit and talk."
At the same time, the Viennese enjoy the good life. Says our local guide jokingly, "Look, no one's working. Even the construction guys, they're always sitting down!" Park amenities include hammocks. The main square is covered with benches that double as loungers and beds. Upscale shopping districts are attractive, and most stores have their own security guard. Danube Island is a peaceful oasis for bikers, sunbathers, and families, while Prater Amusement Park is the city's own little Disneyland.
HIGHLIGHTS:
-Walking tour of Vienna with local guide Gerhard, including visits to St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna Opera House, and the Hofburg Palace, including the Imperial Apartments and Treasury.
-Wandering around and eating in the Spittelberg Quarter.
-A lazy afternoon on Danube Island.
-Touring the Haus der Musik.
Mauthausen
"It's very hot today, but I shouldn't be complaining, given the amount of suffering here.... At the same time, I feel conflicted, because despite all this suffering that occurred here, we'll only lament a little while, and then everything will be back to normal." ~ Justin's Travel Journal entry, 7/20/2016
|
But first, a somber and sobering visit to Mauthausen concentration camp, a reminder of the horror the Nazis inflicted upon Europe. Here you were worked to death, often hauling heavy stones up and down a granite quarry. About 100,000 prisoners died, mostly from starvation or exhaustion. The camp was liberated in 1945.
|
Much of our trip has been fun and excitement, but this was a sobering reminder of dark times in history. April was especially touched and saddened seeing the ovens in which prisoners were killed: high school history you once read about, brought to life. Equally impacting was the "room of names," which stretched on and on with the names of the tens of thousands killed. She says, "That's when it felt real."
Still, we learned of compassion even in the midst of war, with tales of neighbors down the hill from the camp who would risk their lives hiding escapees.
Still, we learned of compassion even in the midst of war, with tales of neighbors down the hill from the camp who would risk their lives hiding escapees.
Vienna is considered one of the world's most livable cities. It is easily navigable by foot, U-Bahn, or electric trams around Old Town. There's much to explore, so after checking in, we hit the ground running with an orientation tour with witty local guide Gerhard. One perk of a Rick Steves tour is the quality of the local guides: experts in their own right who give you an extra in-depth look into a city.
He takes us (down streets, into secret passageways, through restaurants and courtyards) through the Spittelberg neighborhood and we make our way toward the Old Town, ending with glimpses and introductions to the Hofburg Palace (which we'll tour in depth tomorrow) and St. Stephen's Cathedral. The rest of the evening is on our own. We get lost trying to find the Naschmarkt (a sprawling outdoor market), but no worries. That's part of the fun of exploring Europe. We did end up finding it, but near closing. We had an al fresco dinner (schnitzel and stuffed ravioli) back in the Spittelberg, where we engaged with our server, who happily wrote out a list of recommended cafes and websites. Afterward, gelato gave us the opportunity to practice our German and cool down from the humidity baking Europe this week. |
The next morning, we hit the ground running with Gerhard. We begin with a private tour of the world-famous Vienna Opera House. We get to actually sit in the auditorium as Gerhard explains the history of the building and contemporary Opera today. We do get to visit other rooms in the building as well.
Then it's on to the Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Treasury, new this year (previous tours visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum instead). The lavish apartments were home to the Habsburgs: Emperor Franz Josef I and his wife Elisabeth, who was known as Sisi and is a bit of a cult legend now. Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside, but the rooms you tour (bedrooms, salons, studies, art galleries, etc.) are certainly lavish! Wow! At the Treasury, you can witness a stunning display of royal crowns, jewels, gowns, and Christian relics. The highlight may be the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor. In between all our Habsburg-ing, we break for coffee and sweets at Demel, where we try our first ever Sacher Torte... and a few other goodies. |
Many head to Schonbrunn Palace for the remainder of the day, but we're 'museum-ed' out, so after a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral, we take the U-Bahn to Danube Island.
This little island in the middle of the river is where locals go for recreation. There is a little waterpark for children, plus plenty of opportunities for running, biking, sunbathing, athletics, or just relaxing. We've been on our feet for about twenty days now, so napping under a tree sounded like a good idea! Later we visit the Haus der Musik. Justin loves playing music, so he enjoyed the five floors (connected by staircase pianos!) that explore the lives of famous composers, the science and physics of sound, and the history of classical music. It is very high-tech and interactive. You even have the opportunity to conduct your own orchestra; the wand is similar to a Wii remote, and the orchestra will either applaud you or ridicule you off the stage, depending how you do. |
Farewell Dinner
Well... it's the moment we never wanted to come: saying goodbye. Our farewell dinner was held at a nearby restaurant that translates roughly as "Upstairs, Downstairs."
We had the upstairs to ourselves as we relived travel memories. 27 people began this trip as strangers and left it as friends. Rolinka was really nice as to compile everyone's emails so we could keep in touch, plus a list of recommended reading and music that we had been listening to on the bus. She also had been taking pictures throughout the trip, and presented each of us with a card, the photos, and a group photo!
Thank you, Rolinka, for leading such a fantastic tour! To our tour buddies, we enjoyed every minute traveling with you!
While the tour is sadly over, we still have three nights exploring more of Switzerland...
We had the upstairs to ourselves as we relived travel memories. 27 people began this trip as strangers and left it as friends. Rolinka was really nice as to compile everyone's emails so we could keep in touch, plus a list of recommended reading and music that we had been listening to on the bus. She also had been taking pictures throughout the trip, and presented each of us with a card, the photos, and a group photo!
Thank you, Rolinka, for leading such a fantastic tour! To our tour buddies, we enjoyed every minute traveling with you!
While the tour is sadly over, we still have three nights exploring more of Switzerland...