Sightseeing in Vienna

After a leisurely start including an overpriced but wonderful breakfast in a Viennese coffee house, we got to work on seeing the sights. We tried to avoid the historic centre, as we had signed up for a hostel walking tour later. This didn’t leave a whole lot! The main sight was the Hundertwasserhaus, an odd but beautiful architectural work of art from 1983.

Then we went to the Vienna International Centre, hoping to see some UN buildings. Alas everything, even the courtyard, was behind locked doors. We did see Donau city however; a slightly futuristic apartment/park complex. A quick jaunt back to the hostel with the subway and we began our walking tour of the ‘real’ Vienna with Wolfgang. Spectacular, and a lot of fun. Dinner was in a nice little Italian place... Afterwards we were a little exhausted from so much walking!

Viennese Danube-side artwork, and Matt 'reflecting' by the pool in Donau City

Modern architecture at Donau City
(click on the picture to see the Austrian expressions on the wall of the building)

The museums quarter

Historical Art Museum at Maria-Theresa-Square


Left to right: Balcony of the National Library (back then Hotel Imperial) at the Heldenplatz, from which Hitler gave his speech announcing the "Anschluss" of Austria; Goethe statue; Mozart statue. According to our tour guide Austria's greatest trick is to persuade people to think that Goethe is Austrian and Hitler is German. Nobody argues about Mozart.


The beautiful city hall with circus; Cafe Central, supposedly a hangout of Trotzky, Lenin and other intellectuals; one of Vienna's old street cars.


Vienna at night


St. Stephen's cathedral