Day two in Vienna got off to a slow start as I began by doing some more laundry in the sink so I could let it dry while I was out and about today. I had several places in mind that I wanted to capture 360 images of and knowing this was our only full day here, it seemed like a daunting task. I began at the Hofburg where I wanted to do a deeper dive into the life of the Hapsburgs. The Hofburg treasury is home to the crown jewels of the Hapsburg Empire as well as the treasures and regalia from the past several centuries. I have been through an imperial treasury before, in Aachen, Germany, but this one was my first of the trip. I marveled at the incredible jewels, royal attire, tapestries, and reliquaries gathered by the family. There was even a 3000 karat emerald known as “Green Giant” that dates to its discovery in 1641! I continue to be fascinated by Maria Theresa, by the way and want to do more reading about her when I get home. Back outside, I was able to capture some great pics of the magnificent statue of the Empress just before a brief rainstorm blew through.
I didn’t have time to squeeze in the Freud Museum, so I went back to Stephensplatz to get some 360’s of St. Stephen’s and take a closer look at the building. This was also a good area to do some souvenir shopping and browsing for postcards and such. What a cosmopolitan city this is! Just like everywhere we’ve been so far, the huge percentage of English speakers astounds me. Easily half of the people walking around are speaking English and even more than that could. What an advantage we have as travelers from the United States! After grabbing a bite to eat, I headed back to the hotel to change for the evening’s tour and classical concert at the Schonbrunn Palace. Figured I better look more like I belonged there!
The tour of the Schonbrunn Palace, or the summer palace of the Hapsburgs, was especially exclusive since it took place after hours when other visitors are not present. We each received a link to an audio tour that we listened to on our own smartphones and we got to spend an hour going through the royal apartments. It is so interesting, and humbling, to explore places like this and it demonstrates just how different life is for royalty than for the subjects they rule over. The most famous couple of the palace’s history was Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elizabeth (Sisi) and much of the tour focused on their daily life. It’s hard to know whether to be jealous of, or feel sorry for, the people who lived here. They had power, influence, wealth, and glamour but the rigid, uncompromising, protective life that they led couldn’t have felt very free.
After the palace tour, there was time to explore the royal gardens behind the palace and enjoy the exotic plants, delicate landscaping, and well-tended shrubbery. At the far end of the gardens, high up on a hill, was a monument to the family that also provided an extraordinary view of the palace and grounds as well as the city of Vienna beyond. What a city! One of the structures in view was the palace Orangerie. Back in the day, this would have been used as winter storage for the fruit trees and exotic plants that couldn’t endure the harsh winter conditions but today it is used as a concert venue. The city of Vienna loves to celebrate its native sons Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven, and others (for good reason!) and tonight’s classical concert would highlight many of their beloved pieces. A full orchestra emerged and took the stage in this very classy environment, and proceeded to treat us to a couple of hours of amazing music. Several pieces also included a pair of opera singers, which was a first for me for sure! It felt so appropriate to be listening to classical masterpieces while sitting in a wing of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. Life is so good!
Bill and Jeff's Historical Travel Blog 