#25 Austria
The 2nd stop on our EU adventure was Vienna. Vienna is the capital of Austria and the smallest of the nine federal provinces. Vienna is home to 23 districts and was first documented as a city in 1137. In 1155, it became the residence of the dukes of the House of Babenberg, followed by the House of Habsburg, which ruled for no less than 640 years. Vienna is a beautiful baroque city, well-known for Maria Theresa’s reign, Emperor Franz Joseph I, and his beloved wife, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (aka Sissi).
The Schönbrunn Palace, where they lived, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was built in the 18th century and has over 1,400 rooms, including staterooms, private apartments, and gardens. The Palace was the summer residence of the Habsburg imperial family, who ruled Austria from the 16th to the 20th century. It was the site of many important events in Austrian history, including the meeting between Napoleon and Emperor Francis I in 1809. This is a palace you can spend the entire day at. The gardens are endless and bring life to the outside space. I can only imagine how lush and colorful it is in the summer.
The city center, The Stephansplatz, is easy to explore. It is named after its most prominent building, the Stephansdom, Vienna's cathedral, and one of the tallest churches in the world. We climbed the cathedral tower to get a 360 view of Vienna and then went into the catacombs to learn about the cathedral's history. I believe Michals plan was to get to the top so he could spot the next Christmas market for us to go to.
Fun Fact: The Christmas markets were in full swing, and Michael was ready to eat a pretzel from every single one. :)
One of my favorite adventures in Vienna was going to a show at The Vienna State Opera (Staatsoper). Vienna is known as the "City of Music" because of its rich musical history. Many famous composers, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Strauss, lived and worked in Vienna. The State Opera is one of the world's most prestigious opera houses known for its rich history, opulent architecture, and impressive acoustics. The Vienna State Opera was built in the mid-19th century and has been an important cultural institution in Austria ever since. It has hosted some of the world's most famous conductors, singers, and composers, including Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Herbert von Karajan. It is renowned for its stunning architecture, both inside and out. The building features a grand marble staircase, a beautiful ceiling fresco, and ornate details. We took so many pictures inside and out because it is so GORGEOUS!
We explored many other landmarks, like The Spanish Riding School. The horses were so beautiful. We didn’t have an opportunity to see a performance, but seeing the horses up close was still so magical. The Hundertwasser Village was quirky and fun to walk around. It’s very artistic and stands out against the rest of Vienna. It’ll be great to visit again during the warmer months.
During this trip, I discovered I love traveling around Europe via train. We took an overnight train from Vienna to Paris. You can check out our cabin in the final photo of the gallery above.
Have you ever traveled by train? If not, would you try it?
Until next time…
Explore more.
Adventure awaits!
