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 KHMuseum - P. Bruegel "Hunters
in the Snow" by breughel
Among these 14 some of the most remarkable as The Tower of Babel, The Fight of Carnival and Lent, the Peasants Dance, The Peasant Wedding and especially the most beautiful, the purest, the most intense of the works of P. Bruegel " Hunters in the Snow" To go to Vienna without having seen Bruegel it is as going to Paris without seeing La Joconde in Le Louvre. But contrary to the room of the Louvre with Mona Lisa, visitors are not bumping into each other in room X of the KHM of Vienna. A relation having visited the KHM asked me (it was the time of the action in justice against the Austrian State about the Klimt's) if Belgium, which has only six P. Bruegel the Elder, did not wish the return of the Bruegel's to Brussels where the painter lived and died (1569). I would certainly like to see more Bruegel's in the Museum of the Fine Arts in Brussels but these paintings were offered by the city of Antwerp to the archduke Ernest in 1594, the others were bought in total legality. Furthermore if Belgium began demanding the return of all the works of the Flemish painters worldwide she would not have enough walls to hang them on and numerous museums in the world would have empty rooms. And last but not least, numerous persons worldwide know Belgium only by her painters. Let the Bruegel's stays in Vienna, it is a pleasure to see them in a beautiful surrounding such as the KHM and the town of Vienna. Address: Maria-Theresien Platz 5,Directions: Near the Neue Burg and Hofburg.Website: www.khm.at
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 ABK - Last Judgement, J.
Bosch by breughel
This work of 1504 belonged to the archduke Leopold of Austria and became part of the collection of the count Lamberg, founder of this museum.
The wings of the triptych open to reveal, from left to right, "Original Sin", "The Last Judgement" and "Hell".
Bosch’s pictures have always fascinated viewers; Philip II, king of Spain, collected his works. If in his time Bosch was regarded as the inventor of monsters and chimeras, today his paintings still hold as an intriguing attraction reflecting mysterious practices of the Middle Ages. I was surprised during my last visit at the Prado museum of Madrid to notice that guides stopped their groups in front of the other famous triptych of J. Bosch " The Garden of the Delights " to explain at length its symbolism, while in previous years they would spend more time on Velazquez and other painters of the Spanish school.
Jerome Bosch seems a rising star in the world of the fans of the esotericism, the mysteries and the sects. Should we see here a collateral effect of the "Da Vinci Code" esoteric passion?
Really, there is nothing esoteric in the gallery of the paintings of the Academy of Vienna. This museum is - still - very quiet and has few visitors. It is a pity because it contains a number of other masterpieces.
In front of the Bosch triptych is a magnificent painting of Dieric Bouts "The Coronation of the Virgin".
The museum also has beautiful sections of paintings of the German school with Cranach, the Italians, the Flemish baroque with Rubens and a collection of Dutch painters with a magnificent Pieter de Hooch "Family picture in a courtyard in Delft" and a portrait by Rembrandt.
The amateurs of Venice will find eight views "veduti" by Guardi.
Open 10 to 18 h. Closed on Monday.
Entry 7 €,
Reduced price 4 € Address: Akademie der bildenden Künste 1, Schillerplatz 3Directions: U, Tram, Bus: KarlsplatzWebsite: www.akademiegalerie.at
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As one of the most important art museums of Europe the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" has no specific site on the Vienna "things to do" I will join my comment on the KHM to the Hofburg site as it is located in one of the imperial palaces close to that Hofburg.
The gallery of paintings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum results from the project of a private imperial collection and is the reflection of the taste of the various member collectors of the dynasty of Habsburg, mainly the emperor Rodolphe II and the archdukes Ferdinand II and Leopold Guillaume. This archduke is the greatest paint collector of his 17th century. Thanks to him the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna became a museum of an essential importance as regards the Flemish and Venetian Schools. One will notice that this collection is geographically limited to the countries which had narrow links with the Habsburg i.e. Germany, the South of Netherlands (Belgium) the North of Italy and Spain but that France and Holland, with whom Austria had tense relations, are only weakly represented. It would be vain to review the painters and the works of this grand collection of the 15th to the 18th centuries. The collection of Pieter Bruegel the Elder is unequalled and is worth by itself the journey to Vienna. Furthermore there are Van der Weyden, Dürer, Jordaens, Rubens, Van Dyck, Titien, Tintoret, Veronese, Canaleto, Velasquez and many others. One of my favourite paintings, besides the Bruegels, is the" Allegorie of Painting" of Vermeer who was acquired in 1945. I find extraordinary that sixty years ago one could still buy a Vermeer! Address: Maria-Theresien Platz 5,Directions: close to the Neue Burg and Hofburg.Website: www.khm.at
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This is the most beautiful collection of suits of armour in Europe.
The collection of weapons ( Hofjagd-und Rüstkammer) of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is centred on ceremonial or parade weapons and offers a very wide panorama of the evolution of what was a real art for the 15th century in Europe and in the Middle East.
The emperor Maximilien I devoted gladly to the tournaments and incited the young noble persons to devote to the joust and especially the running which was practised with sharp lances, more dangerous than the joust, but much less expensive because she could be practised in the battle armour.
Things did not stay in the field of ordinary armour because the Habsburg (notably both brothers Maximilien II and Ferdinand II) by taste for art and splendour led the technique of armours to a real art close to the goldsmith's art. The connoisseur will find in this museum numerous chiselled armours, inlaid armours, the fluted armours, the costume armours, greek-roman style armours, and darkened armours from the Baroque period.
Considerable financial means were needed to pay such works of art. Ferdinand II of Tyrol excelled at this passion of the beautiful suits of armour. Not satisfied with his own armours he collected armours and weapons of 125 famous persons of his time. We can see the suit of armour of Philippe II of Spain.
These collections are well presented in a number of rooms where the visitor is often alone! This museum still has not the chance (or misfortune for the connoisseurs) to be on the visit program of the groups.
There is also on show a collection of hunting weapons. Address: Hofjagd-und Rüstkammer, Neue Burg, HeldenplatzDirections: The collection of armours and hunting weapons is part of the KHM but is in Neue Burg next to the Hofburg.Website: www.khm.at
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The Belvedere is a baroque palace complex built by Prince Eugene of Savoy in the 3rd district of Vienna, south-east of the city centre.
After buying the plot of land in 1697, Prince Eugene had a large park created. The Schloss Belvedere began as a suburban entertainment villa: in 1714 work began to erect what is now called the Lower Belvedere, not as a palace but as a garden villa, with an orangerie and paintings gallery, with suitable living quarters. The architect was Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, one of the most important architects of the Austrian Baroque, who produced in the complex of buildings his masterwork. He was assisted by the Venetian sculptor Giovanni Stanetti, who had been brought to Vienna by Prince Eugene, with his atelier of assistants; now he also provided properly Italianate sculptural details, such as the figures along the balustrade and garden sculptures. The Lower Belvedere was finished in 1716. The ceiling of its central Marmorsaal ("Marble Hall"), painted by Martino Altomonte, celebrates Prince Eugene as a new Apollo, leader of the Muses. The room also contains an Apotheosis of Prince Eugene sculpted by Balthasar Permoser. Address: the baroque castle of Prinz Eugen
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 Holocaust Memorial in
Judenplatz by Ekaterinburg
Is this a fitting memorial to the 65,00 Austrian jews exterminated by the nazis ? Personally, I still find it hard to decide and it's a memorial that has caused huge controversey. The levels of loathing and revulsion that it aroused in me were quite hard to cope with but I suppose that could be seen as a measure of its success. Address: Judenplatz in the Innere StadtPhone: 535 04 31Directions: Between Am Hof and the Hoher MarktWebsite: www.vienna.info/www.jmw.at
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If your feet will stand it, and you're not all statued-out, a short walk from the shady gardens of the Stadtpark, will bring you to Beethoven. Just as Strauss's golden memorial is as light and as frivolous as his music, and Schubert's conveys somehow the unhappiness of a life cut short, Beethoven's statue is as imposing and splendid as the music, with its base of classical figures and the genius's brooding presence overlooking all.
Although born in Germany, Beethoven lived virtually all his adult life in Vienna, and there are markers all over the city to tell the story - he is known to have lived in at least 30 different houses, many of which are still standing. I wouldn't for a moment suggest you try to track them all down but you're bound to notice some as you explore the city. Leave a Comment Address: Beethovenplatz, ViennaDirections: 2 blocks south west of the Stadtpark
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 The Figarohaus
Schulerstrasse facade by TheWanderingCamel,
2 more photos
The "Figaro" house is the only survivor of the eleven places the composer is known to have lived in at various times in Vienna, and he only occupied an apartment in the building at that, but the years between 1784 and 1787 that he spent there were known to be among the happiest of his short life, and it was here that he wrote the sublime "Marriage of Figaro".
Apart from the music, there's little that is tangible left of Mozart's life, so don't expect to find much here that belonged to the genius. The whole museum is really a piece of smoke and mirrors, using clever effects and a few prints, copies of scores and other odds and ends to tell the story. It won't be enough for some people, but for others just to walk through the rooms, to gaze at the elaborate ceiling of his and Constanza's bedroom, to hear the strains of the immortal music, is enough to conjure up the ghost. Leave a Comment
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Schönbrunn was the former summer residence of Austrian’s previous imperial family. It takes its name from a beautiful spring that was found on this site. An earlier hunting lodge was destroyed by the Turks, so Emperor Leopold I asked Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to design a grand Baroque residence here in 1695. Then it was Empress Maria Theresia who employed Nikolaus Pacassi (her court architect) to complete the project in the mid-18th century.
The palace has some of the best Rococo interiors in central Europe while the surrounding Schlosspark is home to the Tiergarten, Vienna’s zoo, and the Palmenhaus (Palm House). To the west of the neighbouring villa district of Hietzing is the much wilder parkland of the Lainzer Tiergarten, a former royal hunting ground that’s now a haven for wildlife.
The palace contains nearly 1500 rooms, and in its day, would have housed more than 1000 servants. Even though the sheer scale of the place is undeniably impressive, the building itself is something of an acquired taste; its plain façade is painted a rather pale mustard yellow color.
The interior of the palace contains excellent arrays of Baroque and Rococo State rooms. There is also a fine collection of imperial carriages in the Wagenburg (Coach Museum), plus temporary exhibitions in the Orangerie.
The best way to enter Schonbrunn and the Schlosspark to go directly to the Meidlinger Tor on the Grünberg strasse from U-Bahn Schönbrunn, rather than walking along the multi-lane freeway to the main gates of the Schönbrunn Palace.
You could also continue one stop further on the U-Bahn to Hietzing, and walk into the park via the Hietzing Tor on Hietzinger Haup strasse. This will enable you to look at the nearby Hofpavillon Hietzing, the imperial family’s private U-Bahn station. Directions: Take the U4 U-Bahn to Schonbrunn train station; then head directly to Meidlinger Tor on the Grünberg strasse. Or you can walk along the freeway & go directly to the main gates of the Palace.
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For over 800 years now, the jewel in Vienna's eccliastical crown has been the magnificent cathedral known as the Stephansdom. Nothing remains of the original 12th century cathedral but, as it stands today, the building is a glorious combination of mostly Romanesque and Gothic styles with some later Baroque elements.
The oldest section is the west door (known as the Giant's Doorway) which is flanked by two steepled towers (known as either the Heathen Towers, for the pagan shrine that once stood on this site, or, alternatively, the Roman Towers) - dating from the 13th century. Almost all the rest - nave, choir and side chapels and steeple - was built through the years of the 14th and 15th centuries in High Gothic style, while the north tower with its pretty ogee-roof is an as-yet-unfinished 16th century Baroque addition that houses the mighty Pummerin bell, made from the melted-down cannons of the defeated Turks .
The absolute crowning glory of the cathedral is its steep-pitched roof, the tiles (over a quarter of a million of them) laid out in dazzling diaper and chevron patterns with two huge panels featuring the double headed eagles of the Hapsburgs and the Austrian coat of arms.
The cathedral's vertical lines and narrow perspectives (it sits on a very cramped space for such a massive building) emphasize its height. It towers over the roofs of the Innerstadte and it's quite difficult to get a good look at it from the close confines of the old city. Fortunately, there are several high spots around the city from which you can get a good sighting.
The cathedral was very badly damaged by fire during WWII. A massive restoration effort saw it rise again as the symbol of the city but , as is always the case with such buildings, the need for restoration is constant, ongoing and very expensive. Currently it is the south tower that is shrouded in scaffolding. When that is finished, it will be something else. Please don't begrudge a donation to this work. Leave a Comment Address: StephansplatxDirections: U - Stephansplatz
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