I woke up early and wandered around taking pictures in the early
morning light.
I didn't end up using any of those pictures, they had too many shadows.
The "free" breakfast at Pension Nossek was a disappointment.
Eggs and juice both cost extra, which was a surprise, and those were
probably the only two items I really wanted.
I didn't pay, I decided I could find better and cheaper food anywhere
else.
The House of Hapsburg ruled Austria from 1273 to the of WWI in 1918.
Hofburg became the seat of Austrian government in 1279.
Kaiser Franz Josef ruled from 1848 to 1916, and
his name is all over Austria.
His wife Elizabeth (Sisi) led a relatively unhappy life, she didn't
love her husband, her only son
committed suicide at age 21, and she was assassinated in 1898.
As always in any European town I relied on Rick Steves to show me the
way.
At Rick's suggestion I bought the Sisi combination ticket that gets you
into both the Imperial Apartments and Schönbrunn palace,
That ticket is the only way to skip to the head of the often very long
lines at Schönbrunn.
This meant I'd need to see both palaces on the same day...
I started my tour of Vienna with the Hofburg Imperial Apartments Silver
Collection..
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No pictures are allowed in the Imperial Apartments.
I managed to sneak pictures of most every room except the last (and
best)
room, the dining room.
They aren't the best pictures I've ever taken since I had to sneak them
all..
The Waiting Room for the Audience Room
All citizens had the right to speak with the Emperor.
If you wanted your 2-1/2 minutes to speak with the Emperor, this is
where you waited...
Conference Room where Franz Josef met with his cabinet
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Franz Josef's Audience Chamber
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Franz Josef's Audience Chamber
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Franz Josef's Study
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Franz Josef's bedroom
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Franz Josef's Large Salon
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Sisi's bedroom
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Sisi's bedroom
Sisi's cocaine syringe
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Sisi's large salon, which was used for family gatherings until her
assassination in 1898.
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Alexander Apartments - the Red Salon
The last and most impressive room was the Dining room, but I got caught
trying to take a picture there..
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In def Burg
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In def Burg
Franz II, Franz Josef's grandfather
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Ephesus Museum at the World Museum Vienna, which is closed Wednesdays,
which means I needed
to see it today
Young (and not yet pure white) Lipizzaner stallions outside the Spanish
Riding School
I was there during the 6 weeks of the year that there aren't any
official performances, the only program they had included these few
young horses.
I got to see them here for free just outside.
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Franz Josef, his estranged wife Cici who was assassinated, and his only
son who committed suicide.
Kaisergruft - Imperial Crypt
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Graben (ditch)
Origanally a moat for a Roman military camp, now the pedestrian center
of town.
My hotel Pension Nossek is at the end of this street on the left.
Kunst Historisches Musem Vienna
I may have the last two museum captions reversed, they look the same to
me, I didn't enter either of them... not enough time!
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Schönbrunn Palace
I took the subway to Schönbrunn
Palace and was amazed at the number of tour buses parked outside.
I was able to find my way through the maze of different
lines and enter without any wait.
Schönbrunn Palace also
prohibits pictures, and they had many more staff members here, with one
exception below I didn't even try to take pictures.
I wasn't terribly impressed with the Imperial Apartments I'd seen that
morning, but Schönbrunn Palace was really awesome.
I rarely disagree much with Rick Steves assessments.
He thinks both the Apartments and Schönbrunn Palace are more or less
equivalent sights.
I disagree, Schönbrunn is almost as amazing as Versailles and
should not be missed.
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Schönbrunn Palace oval room, one of the East
Asian Cabinets
This picture does not begin to do justice to how amazing this place is.
I took the subway back to the center of Vienna.
The subway line I really wanted was closed for construction, so my
route was a little long.
I wandered around with my Tripadvisor app and Rick Steves kindle book
looking for a good place to eat and settled on Gigerl - der Stadtheuriger
I decided at dinner that during the day I'd heard more Russian and
other similar languages than I'd heard English
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Goulash Soup and a fruity / slightly sweet wine.
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Steak tartar
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Ottakringer Dunkles
Previous
Sunday July 7 and Monday July 8, 2019
El Granada to Vienna
