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| Natural History Museum |
As I said in my last post, a bad storm
delayed our Viking ship by five hours, keeping us from reaching Vienna in the morning. Our program director, David, had been scrambling all night to rearrange the schedule so that we wouldn’t have to miss Vienna.
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| Slovakia from the bus |
I believe we were originally going to dock right in Vienna, where there would be shuttles for a 10-15-minute ride to the Ringstraße area. Instead, we had a 90-minute bus ride from Bratislava to Vienna and an abbreviated tour.
David had tried to find a restaurant or venue that would rent us a room so that we could come and go all day, but he didn't have any luck. So, we were stuck with what we got.
It is sad that our first day of touring (Budapest) was messed up by rain and then the cruising got even more messed up. I guess we were lucky we got to see any of Vienna.
A small plus here was a chance to
see the countryside – with its massive wind generator installations – and Scott
got to check off Slovakia as a country he has visited. I had visited Bratislava
back in 2001.
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| Wind farms in Slovakia |
During the morning, we had a guided bus and walking tour around the Ringstraße and in the central part of old Vienna. It started out cold and rainy, but we did have some brief sunshine mid-day.
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| Our tour |
Because we arrived so late, we really didn't have much time to tour. We just barely hit the highlights. We had an option of staying after the tour and taking a bus back to the ship (which moved to the Vienna area while we were touring). Scott and I stayed; Craig and Cheri went back to the ship.
Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria, with a population of about 1.8 million -- nearly one third of Austria's population. Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was the largest German-speaking city in the world, and before the splitting of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I, it had 2 million inhabitants. Today, it has the second largest number of German speakers after Berlin. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, including the United Nations and OPEC.
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| Scott and Craig enjoying Vienna |
Vienna has been continuously
inhabited since 500 BC, when Celts settled the site on the Danube River. In 15
BC, the Romans fortified the frontier city they called Vindobona to guard the empire
against Germanic tribes to the north. In 976, Leopold I of Babenberg became
count of the Eastern March, a 60-mile district centering on the Danube on the
eastern frontier of Bavaria. This initial district grew into the duchy of
Austria. Each succeeding Babenberg ruler expanded east along the Danube,
eventually encompassing Vienna and the lands immediately east. In 1145, Duke
Henry II Jasomirgott moved the Babenberg family to Vienna, making the city the
center of the Babenberg dynasty.
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| St. Stephen's tower clock |
In 1440, Vienna became the
resident city of the Habsburg dynasty (the Habsburg – then Hapsburg – dynasty
originated in Switzerland and was named for a hawk, the habicht, that sat on
the family’s castle walls). Vienna eventually became the de facto capital of
the Holy Roman Empire (1483--1806) and a cultural center for arts and science,
music and fine cuisine. Hungary occupied the city between 1485 and 1490.
In
1515, a royal marriage united the Austrian and Hungarian empires and Charles V
became known as the “World Emperor.”
But, just a few years later, the dynasty
split into the Austrian Hapsburgs and the Spanish Hapsburgs.
In the 16th and 17th Centuries,
Christian forces stopped Ottoman armies twice outside Vienna. In 1643, a palace
was built on the outskirts of the city that eventually came to be known as the Schönbrunn
(summer place). We didn’t visit this time, but I did tour it on my three
previous visits (yes, I had been to Vienna one more time than Budapest and Prague).
We did tour the Hofburg area, which was the Hapsburg’s in-town palace. Interestingly, the two palaces are only five
miles apart.
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| Hofburg domes |
The plague ravaged Vienna in
1679, killing nearly a third of its population.
As he was fleeing the city, the Habsburg emperor Leopold I vowed to erect a mercy column if the epidemic would end. The resulting memorial in the central courtyard on The Graben – the main boulevard.
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| Plague Column |
The sculpture has two names: Plague Column (Pestsäule) or Trinity Column (Dreifaltigkeitssäule).It started with a provisional wooden column with nine sculpted angels for the Nine Choirs of Angels.
After employing multiple sculptors and many design changes, the current column was inaugurated in 1693. While it was being created, it changed from a conservative design to High Baroque, marking the transition to the High Baroque era in Vienna. It highly influenced the style and was imitated in the whole Austrian region.
The 13-year War of Spanish
Succession ended by dividing up Hapsburg territories, diminishing Austrian
reach.
In 1804, during the Napoleonic
Wars, Vienna became the capital of the Austrian Empire and continued to play a
major role in European and world politics, including hosting the Congress of
Vienna in 1814/15.
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Vienna
remained the capital of what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the
latter half of the 19th century, the city built the Ringstraße, a new boulevard
surrounding the historical town.
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| Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz on the Ringstraße |
In
1918, after World War I, Vienna became capital of the Republic of
German-Austria, and then, in 1919, of the First Republic of Austria. From the late 19th Century to
1938, the city remained a center of high culture, making significant
contributions to music, medicine, architecture, philosophy and
politics.
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| Capistran Chancel, St. Stephen's |
In 1938, Austrian-born Adolf Hitler spoke to the Austrian Germans from the balcony of the Neue Burg. Viennese Jews were looted, deported and murdered.
Between 1938 and the end of World War II, Vienna lost its status as a capital to Berlin as Austria became a part of Nazi Germany. In 1945, the Soviets took the city.
British and American air raids and artillery duels between the SS and Wehrmacht and the Red Army crippled infrastructure and destroyed or damaged thousands of buildings.
Vienna fell and Austria was separated from Germany, but the Soviet hold on the city remained until 1955. By the 1970s, Vienna has regained much of its former international stature.
Although about a third of Viennese profess no religious affiliation, some of Vienna's most significant historical buildings are churches, including, of course, the beautiful St. Stephen's Cathedral, where we spent most of our time while in the city.
The sights we saw – on the tour
and on our own – included many of the highlights of central Vienna ...
Some Lipizzaner horses relaxing after rehearsal at the Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule) ...
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| Beautiful white Lipizzaner stallion |
The State Opera House, one of the most famous opera house in the world (unfortunately seen only from the bus, but Scott and I did see a dismal Wagner opera there when we were last in Vienna) ...
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| St. Peter's Catholic Church |
This original church was replaced with a Romanesque church that is believed to have been established by Charlemagne around 800.
The first historical mention of the church was in 1137.
Aren't these dates astounding?
The medieval church had three altars, with an apse in the south instead of the east as was found in most churches, leading to speculation that the building was adapted from a previously secular structure.
The old church burned down in 1661 and a new Baroque church was begun in 1701 with a design inspired by St. Peter's Basilica of the Vatican in Rome.
The current church, which was the first domed structure in Baroque Vienna, was consecrated in 1733.
Unfortunately, we didn't go inside – maybe next time.
Down another street, we saw the Greek Church of the Holy Trinity (Griechenkirche zur Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit). Greek Orthodox churches existed near this site since 1787, but this Byzantine Revival building cathedral was built in 1858 ...
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| Greek Church of the Holy Trinity squeezed between other buildings |
Not all the buildings are old in design; there are some modern buildings, which I find a bit jarring. The postmodernist Haas-Haus, which is divided between retail and a restaurant (I ate there back in 2001), was built in 1990 ...
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| Haas-Haus |
We wandered around the side streets, including by the holding area for the multiple carriages that are available for rides through the city ...
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| Carriages and horses |
And, of course, we peeked down many side streets ...
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| Viennese cobblestone side street |
I am not going to pretend that we had a thorough visit of Vienna. I have to admit, with all my other travels and dealing with my broken finger and the following health issues, I did not do research in advance – something I always regret. I think that I was feeling a bit knowledgeable about Vienna because I had spent time there in the past. But, now, as I am writing this, I am thinking of places I would have liked to have seen.
Viking somewhat disconnects you from exploration because you are not staying IN the city.
This rules out early morning or late evening walks or even the kinds of short breaks you can take when walking and carrying heavy camera equipment tires you out.
I was attracted to the idea of unpacking once and not having to move from hotel to hotel. But, I think I would prefer to move about if I could have more unstructured exploration time.
When I think about this trip, I feel that everything was too fast and too surface-level.
One main reason Scott and I stayed after the walking tour was so
we could have some authentic schnitzel.
A schnitzel is a meat cutlet that is pounded wafer thin (usually with a mallet-type tenderizer), coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and fried.
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| Figlmüller storefront |
I like to get some authentic food when visiting foreign places.
We went to Figlmüller Wollzeile, down an alley right behind St. Stephen's Cathedral. This restaurant has been specializing in schnitzel for more than 100 years.
Schnitzel originated Austria and Austrians are exceedingly proud of it. The "Weiner schnitzel" you have heard of is usually veal and the name simply means Viennese-style schnitzel.
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| Pork Schnitzel |
Figlmüller uses pork for its signature schnitzel, which generally measures roughly 12 inches in diameter, which is bigger than the plate. Schnitzel is traditionally served with a wedge of lemon and a delicious salad of lettuce, potato salad and pickled vegetables.
I don't know what I like better – the schnitzel or the salad.
Scott ordered the goulash – I guess he didn't get enough in Hungary. One tends to think of goulash as strictly Hungarian, but we encountered it in Hungary, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. Sometimes it is a stew and sometimes a soup, but it always includes chunks of meat, potatoes and paprika. At Figlmüller, goulash is a stew served with spaetzle, a noodle made by pressing dough through a sieve into boiling water.
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| Goulash and spaetzle |
Another reason we stayed in Vienna was to go into St. Stephen's Cathedral – I just can't pass up a good cathedral – and St. Stephen's Cathedral is a good one.
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| Me photographing the interior; Photo: Scott Stevens |
St. Stephen's is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop. Most of the Romanesque and Gothic church was built between 1339 and 1365. It stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. Previously, it was believed that St. Stephen's was built in an open field outside the city walls, but excavations in 2000 revealed that it was likely built on an ancient Roman cemetary.
This suggests that an even older religious building on this site predated the St. Rupert's Church, which is considered the oldest church in Vienna.
Although the first structure was completed in 1160, major reconstruction and expansion lasted until 1511. From 1230 to 1245, the initial Romanesque structure was extended westward; the present-day west wall and towers date from this period.
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| East entrance |
In 1258, a fire destroyed much of the original building and a larger Romanesque structure was constructed over the ruins of the old, reusing the two church towers.
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| Votive candles |
A Gothic three-nave choir was consecrated in 1340 on the 77th anniversary of the previous consecration. The middle nave is largely dedicated to St. Stephen and All Saints, while the north and south nave are dedicated to St. Mary and the Apostles, respectively.
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| Choir |
The choir was further expanded, eventually encapsulating the entire the old church, and, in 1430, the edifice of the old church was removed as work progressed on the new cathedral. The south tower was completed in 1433, and the foundation for a north tower was laid in 1450. Construction on the second tower was abandoned when major work on the cathedral ceased in 1511.
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| Some statues double as pigeon roots (with mesh to prevent damage to delicate walls) |
The building is rich with details, including a wide variety of gargoyles, which provide the practical function of serving as water spouts.
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| St. Stephen's gargoyles |
The Wiener Neustädter Altar is composed of two triptychs, the upper four times taller than the lower. The panels have gilded wooden figures depicting events in the life of the Virgin Mary.
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| Neustädter Altar triptychs |
Cathedral restoration began on its 100th anniversary, in 1985 and took 20 years, ten art restorers, 40,000 man-hours and $1.5 million to complete, primarily because the church's large surface area of 1,100 sq. ft.
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| St. Stephen's details |
During World War II, the captain of retreating German forces spared the cathedral from destruction when he disregarded orders to "leave it in just debris and ashes." In 1945, civilian looters lit fires in nearby as Soviet Army troops entered the city and winds carried the fire to the cathedral, severely damaging the roof and causing it to collapse.
Protective brick shells minimized damage to the most valuable artworks, but choir stalls carved in 1487 could not be saved. Rebuilding began immediately, with a limited reopening in 1948 and a full reopening in1952.
Dedicated to St. Stephen, the church is oriented toward sunrise on his December 26 feast day (as the position stood in the year that construction began). Built of limestone, the cathedral is 351 ft. long, 130 ft. wide and 446 ft. at the top of the tower.
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| St. Stephen's Cathedral |
The Cathedral's south tower is its highest point and a dominant feature of the Vienna skyline. Its construction lasted from 1368 to 1433.
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| South Tower |
During the Siege of Vienna in 1529 and again during the Battle of Vienna in 1683, it was the main observation and command post for the defense of the walled city. The tower contains an apartment for a watchmen who, up until 1955, manned the tower at night and rang the bells if he spotted a fire.
At the tip of the tower stands the double-eagle imperial emblem with the Habsburg-Lorraine coat of arms on its chest, surmounted by a double-armed apostolic cross, which refers to Apostolic Majesty, the imperial style of kings of Hungary. This emblem replaced earlier crescent and the six-pointed star emblem.
You can also tour the tower, which I did when I was working in Vienna for a week or so back in the 2000s. Scott and I didn't go this time because it was so cold and windy. I didn't check, but the tower may have been closed because of the wind.
If you ever go, be aware that, as you step off the elevator, you step onto a mesh platform with a direct view 400 ft. down to the plaza. It takes your breath away even if you don't tend to have a fear of heights.
The never-finished north tower was originally intended to mirror the south tower, but it stands only 223 ft. tall. In 1578, the unfinished stump was augmented with a Renaissance cap, nicknamed the "water tower top" by the Viennese.
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| North tower |
The main entrance to the church is named the Giant's Door, referring to the thighbone of a mastodon that hung over it for decades after being unearthed in 1443 while digging the foundations for the north tower.
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| Entrance |
St. Stephen's Cathedral has an ornately patterned roof covered with 230,000 Hungarian-made glazed tiles. After the roof collapsed in 1945, over 600 metric tons of steel bracing were used to replace the burned wooden supports. The roof is so steep that it is sufficiently cleaned by the rain and is seldom covered by snow.
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| St. Stephen's Cathedral roof |
Of St. Stephen's 23 bells, the largest weighs 51,800 lbs. and was originally cast in 1711 from cannons captured from Muslim invaders. It was recast partly from its original metal in 1951 after the 1945 fire caused it to fall to the ground.
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| Pipe organ |
St Stephen's Cathedral's first organ was mentioned in 1334. After the 1945 fire, a large electric-action pipe organ was added in 1960. In 1991, the choir organ was rebuilt as a mechanical organ.
The main part of the church contains 18 altars, with more in the various chapels. The High Altar was built from 1641 to 1647 as part of the first refurbishment of the cathedral in the baroque style.
When the charnel house and eight cemeteries abutting the cathedral closed due to an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1735, the bones were moved to catacombs below the church.
Burials directly in the catacombs continued until 1783, when a law passed that forbade burials within the city. I understand the smell was pretty bad at the time.
The remains of more than 11,000 people are in the catacombs. I have toured the catacombs before, but did not go this time.
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| Uncleaned area |
Of course, St. Stephen's was covered in scaffolding – it always is. The European sandstone buildings blacken quickly from the pollutants in the air.
Cleaning the building is delicate work because sandstone is soft and erodes easily. Generally, by the time a building has been completely cleaned, it is time to start over.
The porous limestone can't be coated because a sealer would trap moisture inside the stone and cause it to crack faster when the water freezes.
The permanent construction department (dombauhütte) uses the latest scientific techniques, including laser cleaning of delicate features on stonework, and is investigating a process that would impregnate the cavities within the stone with something that would keep water from having a place to infiltrate.
It got dark and rainy again before the bus picked us up to go back to the ship. There, we had dinner and then got back on a bus to go to our evening event – one of our few optional excursions. We went to a small (and it turned out private) Mozart/Strauss
concert by the Vienna Resident Orchestra in the Palace Auersperg. Trip date: October 25-November 7, 2017
