in the way to Summer Palace
by manuelEB
Walking towards the palace from the closest train station
you will see this building. Typical thing in Vienna. This is not the best, not the most beuatiful but it was in my way and it was the first one I took a picture of... What's the meaning of that dome at the top? What's inside? Why mosto of the old buildings has it? Why the chicken crossed the rai-road? Why? Why? The architeture of the whole city is just marvelous. I was wondering if the Imperial Governenment did not subsidize cost for ornaments and alike in "fachades"... Possible?!
Another image from this quiet...
by steventilly
Another image from this quiet area of the city, this is somewhere near Sigmund Freud Park. We just liked the trees, the statues, the quiet back street sort of feel that it had. At this point we were headed back towards the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
Augustinerkirche
by Ekaterinburg
Sunday mass in Augustinerkirche was my first exposure to Viennese churches. It is in no way typical, being rather austere inside and lacking in Baroque decoration. The Choir here is famous though and to get a seat you must arrive at least an hour in advance. It's well worth the effort as the singing is just superb and then afterwards you can set off in fear and trepidation to the vaults to see Augustinerkirche's biggest claim to fame. This was a big anticlimax as the 'vault' in question is a little side chapel and all that is visible of the famous 'Hearts of the Hapsburgs' are 54 urns neatly arranged in rows. I'm not sure what I expected - maybe red bleeding hearts impaled on stakes - but peeping through a tiny grille, in a perfectly ordinary room certainly lacked a sense of occasion.
Back in the church there are two major attractions: Canova's marble cenotaph commemorating Marie Christine ( Maria Theres's favourite daughter ) and the large rococo organ on which Bruckner composed his mass no. 3.
Augustinerkirche is part of the Hofburg and is situated on Josephplatz. As the church is pretty difficult to photograph, I've included a photo of the square it's situated in.
In the Albertina or...
by steventilly
In the Albertina or Albertinaplatz stands the Monument Against War And Fascism. This was quite controversial and many Jews didn't like it, and thought the images were degrading. Because of this feeling a proper Holocaust memorial was erected elsewhere in the city (see further down this page).
Unspoken Rules while in Public
by asrai
Austrians get offended easily if the Unspoken Public Rules of Etiquette are broken. Thus, if you want to avoid being an offensive tourist, it's best to know of these rules.
1. NEVER EVER put your feet on a seat in ANY public transportation. Even if you've been walking for days and are totally exhausted, resist the tempation to put your feet up on the seat in front of you. It will only shock and upset the locals around you. Even if you do try, I can bet that a local will be prompt to tell you to put your feet back on the floor.
2. ALWAYS ALWAYS stand on the right side of the escalator and pass on the left side. It's like the "driving on the autobahn" rules but on escalators. When I lived in Vienna it took me awhile to get used to this concept but when I did, I found myself getting EXCESSIVELY frusterated when I would be in a hurry and a crowd of tourists would be blocking the escalator not having read the sign at the bottom that says "Pease stand right."
3. If you're in a group and not speaking german, keep the conversation noise level down. This isn't imperative, but don't be surprised if you get looks of disgust from older Austrians and you're speaking too loudly.
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Butterflies - NHM
Opera Museum, Vienna, AT
Church St. Peter, Vienna, AT
Steffl - altar section.
