Hello everyone, today I will tell you about a day we spent in the world’s most livable city and Vienna has held this title for the past ten years. The capital of the Habsburg Empire was built with royal splendor, clearly not for ordinary people. But now a few centuries later, we can walk through these parks and palaces. For many tourists, Vienna is primarily about elegant architecture, the chance to meet history and the opportunity to see how famous people lived.
In the morning we first headed to Schönbrunn Palace. This summer residence of the Habsburgs, located quite far from the city center, is a true classic, a massive palace complex. I think it’s the largest or one of the largest in Europe. We found a suitable place to park and entered the complex not from the front of the palace but through the garden side.
On the way we crossed the Danube River. This river flows through many European countries and in ancient times, many states were founded on its shores. Vienna has been chosen as the world’s most livable city five years in a row. So, for now Vienna is one of the most comfortable cities. The parking sign indicated 7 euros for one hour. This is a district far from the center, meaning even in areas distant from the center, parking fees are expensive. We parked our car and started walking toward the summer residence of the Habsburgs.
Tourists were waiting in line just to take a single photo in front of the church. This place is very dry, with little greenery. Only small flower beds. I wish there was more shade. Interestingly from a distance, the palace looks like it’s drawn on paper. It doesn’t give a three-dimensional feeling, almost like a flat painting. Since this is a UNESCO architectural site, no changes can be made.it remains as it was built two or three hundred years ago. The architecture appears flat from a distance, with columns protruding only 20 centimeters, which is why it looks like a drawing.
In addition to the main avenue there are two equally distant important places on the left and right. We arrived at one of them, the Roman Ruins. At first glance, it seems like real Roman ruins were found here and brought to this place, but in reality, they are not. It’s a monument built from scratch. In fact, they planned to make this place much larger and more beautiful. For example, there was supposed to be a statue of Hercules at the top of the arch, pouring water, but they probably had to cut costs. In the past, this was just a square where people would gather and hold events. The fountain here associates the dynasty’s natural origin with a divine connection. It’s a beautiful fountain.
Then we arrived at the Palace Square. Here I realized that bicycles are a special means of transportation. In other cities you just see people riding bikes, but here, it’s a real mode of transport with its own traffic rules. Even if the road is empty, if a cyclist is coming, you need to step aside. Vienna’s underground passages are not just functional spaces but also pleasant environments. Inside, there are cafés and shops and beneath the historical center, all utilities, parking lots and tram lines have been built. So even while being in the historical center, you can go underground at any moment and take advantage of modern amenities. Vienna is a very clean city. Even side streets are spotless, the city is really wealthy.
We moved on to the winter residence of the palace. I think this one is a bit more impressive. The summer residence was outside the city, meaning it was a kind of suburban house. Then we reached the Old Town. A few centuries ago, Vienna’s borders ended here. The city grew later. Of course, walking past fashion storefronts and boutique signs somewhat diminishes the old city’s atmosphere, but Vienna’s center is still beautiful. There is a palatial feel. Everything looks like a king’s or a ruler’s residence. I guess Vienna was built around squares, with streets extending in every direction from these squares. There’s no block-based orderly layout, but still, every corner offers beautiful views.
Then we came across a impressive building. St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Austria’s most significant cultural monument and of course, Vienna’s as well. It’s in Gothic style, with the main tower standing over 107 meters. It’s a massive structure and perhaps this isn’t obvious in photos, but its size is impressive. I wish there was more open space around it so we could better appreciate its beauty. This place is also quite crowded. The construction of this temple began in the 12th century. The saddest part is that while this cathedral wasn’t severely damaged during the bombing raids of World War II, someone set it on fire after the war for looting purposes and all the interior decoration burned down. One of its towers collapsed and the famous bell was there. The exterior was, of course, restored, but the interior was rebuilt. Here, you can still feel the 18th century atmosphere.
This place is where a lot of tourists gather Anker Clocks. The figures here are constantly moving. Over the course of 12 hours, figures of important characters in Vienna’s history pass by. In principle if you wait 12 hours, you can see them all.
Vienna is not just a political center but also one of Europe’s cultural capitals. Many famous people were born here. We arrived at Mozart’s house. This house is now used as a museum and Mozart lived on the first floor here. It is located just 50 meters from the magnificent cathedral. By modern standards, he lived in a perfect location. If this place were listed on Airbnb, it would say, Perfect location.
Then we got into the car and headed toward Slovakia. Thank you for reading. See you in the next adventure.