Schonbrunn, Klimt, the Prater attractions – Madame Tussaud, the Planetarium, the Ferris Wheel-, the Sound Museum, two Christmas Markets, the Zoo and lots of snow! ⛷️😶🌫️❄️☃️⛄ Type of Trip: long weekend (4 days and 3 nights). Period: November. Means of transportation: return flight from Rome and subway in Vienna. Sockets: type C and F as in Italy. Currency: Euro. Advice: go equipped for the cold!
This is a trip I took in 2013, in view of the Christmas period; capital of Austria, divided into 22 districts and crossed by the Danube, Vienna is certainly one of the most romantic cities you will visit for history, elegance and atmosphere. Rich in masterpieces and curiosities, it offers many cultural attractions and some Christmas markets which, in the period I was there, were already available from mid-November; among these I visited the Wiener Christkindlmark located in the Rathausplatz, open from 10 am until 10 pm, and the market in front of the Belvedere Castle, after admiring Klimt‘s masterpieces housed in the aforementioned structure.
In the photos above, from left to right, a street, the Schonbrunn Palace after a snowfall that took us by surprise, the Danube with the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi behind me, the Ferris wheel of the Prater and the Zoo.
With 150 stalls, arts and crafts, merry-go-rounds, decorations, candles, blown glass candle holders, sweets and a heart shaped tree – a plane tree with 200 hearts as decorations-, the Wiener Christkindlmark in the Town Hall Square welcomes you with all its warmth, a rich program for adults and children and the desire to celebrate, in the heart of the city. And while walking among the stalls, don’t forget to enjoy a hot punch 🧉
Austrian by birth, Klimt represents one of the greatest exponents of the Viennese Secession on a global level, an artistic movement born between Bavaria, Austria and Germany between the 19th and 20th centuries. Divided into the Lower Belvedere, where there are exhibitions from various eras, from the Middle Ages to modernism, and the Upper Belvedere where in addition to Klimt’s works you can also admire the masterpieces of Van Gogh, Kokoschka and Schiele, both buildings were built as residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Baroque building surrounded by large gardens, this structure is open all week from 9am to 7pm (check the website before planning your trip) and in addition to the very famous Klimt’s Kiss, it hosts many other of his works for a total of 24 paintings. Outside, in the square, there is the market of the same name, perhaps a little less crowded than the previous one but definitely beautiful. A curiosity 😊, when you ask for Punch, you will be given a special cup for which you will be asked for a deposit in case you want to keep it with you, a deposit which will be returned to you if you give it back.
Symbol of history and splendor, as well as of the Imperial power of the Habsburg dynasty, the Schombrunn Palace has seen important changes over the various decades and under the various Sovereigns. Surrounded by an immense park, a UNESCO heritage site since 1996, this enormous complex includes a Palm House (photo number 4), the Zoo (a few minutes walk from the building), the Orangery Garden and a Labyrinth. The visits are divided into Imperial Tour (the Imperial apartments) and Grand Tour (the entire floor and Maria Theresa’s rooms); here, in the Hall of Mirrors, Mozart performed at the age of six. As you can see from the photo history, silently, but very quickly, after starting the visit to the park it began to snow.
Born around the mid-1800s, the Tiergarten is considered the oldest zoo in the world and is home to around 700 animal species all loved and very well looked after, from Penguins to Siberian Tigers, from Koalas to Pandas. The year I went I had the chance to see how a Panda family interacts with their newborn cub 🐣 🐼 😊, little Fu Bao, and with humans. In particular, Daddy Panda made me smile when, once outside his little house where he was staying with his partner and son, he grabbed some shrubs and started eating turning away from us (rightly); while the thing that perhaps, more than anything, touched me was an elderly Koala who left his tree to immediately cling to the girl who had come in to feed him and look after him with infinite love.
🎶🎵🎼🎹🎷🎺🎸🎻 The Museum of Sound is, literally, an experience that involves our senses in an interactive way. In addition to photos, information and audiovisual installations, it is possible to play with sound waves, improvise as orchestra conductors and become protagonists in the name of experimentation and creativity; without ever straying from the main concept of this exhibition. Structured on 5 floors, each of which is intended for different themes, I highly recommend it. The attached shop is full of nice and original souvenirs, I suggest a visit there too, I bought an umbrella with notes and also a themed mouse pad 😁
And let’s conclude with the Prater and its breathtaking landscapes. Located in the 2nd District, it was primarily conceived as a playground and a place for dances and concerts, also the Strauss (father and son), played at the Prater; this area has a lot to offer and is definitely worth a fair bit of your time and attention to get to the heart of its history. Of course, between games, the Madame Tussaud museum and the incredible Planetarium with its multimedia shows, fun is guaranteed, as are emotions, starting with the incredible view that the Ferris wheel gives you once on board. Approximately 65 meters high for a total weight of 430 tons, this immense iron structure was inaugurated in 1897 and has since then represented the symbol of the city; furthermore, some of the carriages which were no longer used after the fire of 1944 are indoors where their history is revisited between drawings, writings and mechanical installations (as shown in photos 5, 10 and 11), while in the adjoining shop you can buy Viennese craftsmanship, porcelain and wheel souvenirs. Free entry, attractions for a fee. Metro: U 1 Red Line (Pratersten). Thanks for following me on this journey too 😊 🥂
Vi ricordo che quanto è descritto sopra e il relativo materiale fotografico è protetto da copyright; si tratta di contenuti e itinerari pubblicati all’interno dei miei libri e/o parte di programmi/puntate.