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Vienna Travelogue

Vienna

Gatorbill
2004-04-24 15:28:40

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Day 7 - Friday May 21, 1999 - Vienna, Austria: Arrived at Vienna Sudbanhof right on time around 6:30AM. I went to the Tourist Information office, got a map of the city, then I took a tram to the nearest subway station, and there I took subway line U1 to the Karlsplatz station that was near my hotel. I walked to my hotel, the Pension Shermin (A-1040 Vienna, Rilkeplatz 7, 990 ATS per night, breakfast included), which was right next to the Technical University, and checked my luggage in with the receptionist since my room would not be available until after noon. I started walking in towards the city center, the first thing I noticed was the extensive use of trams as public transportation, and the maze of overhead cables needed to power them. The first site that I passed along the way was the Karlskirche (St Charles Church), this church is unique because its central dome is flanked by two triumphal columns as tall as the dome. Next, I walked up past the Karlsplatz subway station, and saw the two Stadtbahn subway station pavilions designed by the famous Viennese architect Otto Wagner. These buildings are two of the finest examples of the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style of architecture that was popular in Vienna in the late 1800's. The two buildings are identical and face each other, the west pavilion is closed and not used, but the east pavilion is open, and now houses the Otto Wagner Café.

Walking into the city center, the Staatsoper (State Opera House) stands at the center of Vienna. This building's magnificence, and central location leaves no doubt that music is at the heart of Vienna which at one time or another was home to: Hayden, Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler, and Johann Strauss. This musical heritage was nurtured by the ruling Habsburg family, in fact Emperor Leopold I was a composer, and his son, Emperor Karl VI, played the violin. Continuing the family tradition, Karl's daughter, Empress Maria Theresa, played the ...