Day 7: Cruising the Danube to Vienna & time in Vienna

We woke up along the River Danube, now in Austria. Just after Alison & I got up we saw the ruins of a castle up on a hill and down by the river the town of Hainburg. 

Hainburg

Hainburg Castle

Church in Hainburg

We enjoyed breakfast on board, then spent some time up on the Sun Deck.

 

Alison enjoyed bacon, French toast and hash browns!

The waffles for breakfast were delicious!

Alison did a little bit of school work after she and Keith had walked a few laps of the walking track. I was sorting photos while they did that, but joined them later and walked about 10 laps of the sun deck too. It was a cooler day with a bit of a breeze, so Alison didn’t go for her planned swim. That will have to wait for another day. 

I am walking some laps on the deck of the ship

Alison is doing some maths school work

 

Along the way we saw lots of little fishing huts on the banks of the river. Some look pretty basic, others a little more fancy, but all very small - just like a box on stilts with a fishing net in front. 

one of the many fishing huts along the Danube

Just before lunch, we entered the 2^nd of 68 locks that we will pass through during our trip. The first one was at about 1.00am today, so we were asleep for that – or at least in bed with no intention of getting up to see. 

we are entering the lock

we had to get very close to the edge of the lock on one side, even though there is plenty of room on the other side.

our first views of Vienna

After lunch on the ship, we transferred to coaches for the 20 minute drive to the city centre. Here we did a walking tour of a small part around St Stephen’s Cathedral. The first church built at this site possibly dates back to the fourth century, but the oldest parts of today's St. Stephen's Cathedral - the towers of the front façade - go back to the thirteenth century, when the existing Romanesque church from the twelfth century was expanded. The towers were all that remained after a fire destroyed the church in 1258. Just five years later, the church was rebuilt, now with a larger nave, and the two surviving towers were incorporated in the new building. Much of what we see today stems from an expansion that was started in 1304 by King Albert I. His grandson, Rudolf IV the Founder, laid the first stone for yet another expansion in 1359, which would bring the church to its current size. Work continued throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The south tower and the nave were completed in 1455 but construction of the north tower stalled in 1511, shortly after the church was promoted to the status of cathedral in 1469. The west façade of the cathedral, facing Stephansplatz, is the only surviving part of the 13th century Romanesque church. The two towers are known as the Heidentürme (Pagan towers) - possibly because material from Roman buildings were used to construct the towers. Between the towers is the main entrance to the cathedral via the Riesentor, (Giant's Gate), a monumental pointed arch. The large window above the Riesentor is from a later era. The crowning piece of the Stephansdom is the south tower, ironically nicknamed Steffl (little Stephen). The tall Gothic tower's spire reaches a height of 137 meters (450 ft) and even today it towers high over Vienna's inner city. A staircase, 418 steps long, leads from the sacristy to the top. Opposite the Steffl is the unfinished north tower. By the time work on the tower was halted in 1511 the Gothic style had fallen out of favor and the new, fashionable Renaissance style was used to decorate the truncated tower with a belfry in 1556. The tower houses the Pummerin bell, originally cast in 1711 from the metal of captured Turkish cannons. The bell is the largest in the Stephansdom and even one of the largest in Europe. The roof of the cathedral is decorated with more than two hundred thousand glazed tiles. They form enormous mosaics depicting a double headed eagle (symbol of the Holy Roman Empire) and the coats of arms of Vienna and Austria. The nave of the Stephansdom is 108 meters (354 ft) long and impresses thanks to its Gothic vaulted ceiling, which reaches a height of about 27 meters (88ft). The stone Gothic pulpit, sculpted in 1514 by master stonemason Anton Pilgram is most likely to first catch the attention of visitors. The pulpit is beautifully adorned with statues of animals and saints. Pilgram himself makes a cameo, he looks out of a window at the foot of the stairs. While the cathedral is mostly Gothic in style, the high altar is clearly Baroque. The marble and stone altar, created by Johann Jakob Pock, shows statues of four saints. The central painting, by Johann's brother Tobias, shows the martyrdom of St. Stephen. In the Virgin's Choir, to the left of the high altar, is the late Gothic Wiener Neustädter Altar, originally created in 1447 for a cloister but moved to the Stephansdom in the late nineteenth century. The panels of the winged altarpiece show saints and scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary. A majestic red marble tomb in the Apostles' Choir to the right of the high altar contains the remains of Emperor Frederick III. The tomb, designed by Nicolaus Gerhaert van Leyden and built between 1467 and 1513, is decorated in Renaissance style with several hundred statues and thirty-two coats of arms. Stairs in the north transept lead to the catacombs, where the bones of thousands of locals are stocked. A more dignified final resting-place has been reserved for some of the early Habsburg rulers, including emperor Rudolf IV. Later Habsburgs were buried in the Kaisergruft. 

We then walked along some pedestrian streets to the Hofburg. The sprawling Hofburg complex was the bastion of the Habsburg monarchs, who ruled over Austria - and at times many other regions of Europe - for more than six centuries, from 1276 until the downfall of the Habsburgs in 1918. Hofburg (Court Palace) consists of royal apartments, chapel, church, library, the Winterreitschule and the many museums that are housed in the complex, which consists of eighteen wings with more than 2000 rooms designed in a wide range of architectural styles, from Gothic to Baroque and Neoclassicist. The mostly Baroque exterior is nonetheless surprisingly harmonious. Some of the highlights include the Kaiserappartements (royal apartments), the Schatzkammer (Treasury), the Prunksaal in the National Library, the Winterreitschule (Winter riding school), the Albertina Museum and the Neue Burg museums. Construction of the Hofburg did not start with the Habsburgs, but with king Ottokar II of Bohemia, who was also the Duke of Austria. In 1275 he had a fortress built at the site of current Schweizerhof, a rectangular structure with four towers. After Rudolf I, the first of the Habsburg dynasty, ousted Ottokar II in 1276, he expanded the fortress. Today, there are no visible traces of this original structure left. Construction of the complex we know today started after 1533, when Ferdinand I decided to move his main residence to Vienna, making it the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Construction of what is now known as the Alte Hofburg, was completed in 1552. The Schweizertor, the gate that leads to the Alte Hofburg, was built the following year. Ferdinand's son, Maximilian II, added the Stallburg to the complex. Maximilian's son, Rudolf, decided he wanted his own palace and built the Amalienburg, detached from the existing structure. A courtyard, now known as the Innenhof or In der Burg separated the two palaces. The Thirty Years' War caused a pause in construction activity, but in 1660 the expansion of the Hofburg continued with the construction of the Leopoldinischertrakt (Leopold Wing) by Emperor Leopold I. This new wing connected Amalienburg with Alte Hofburg. Construction accelerated after the landmark victory over the Turkish in 1683. The official court architect, Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, designed the magnificent court library, the Winter Riding school, and the Reichkanzleitrakt. He also designed Michaelertrakt, a Baroque wing which was only completed centuries later. Another building frenzy started at the end of the 19th century, a time when the Habsburg monarchy started to show signs of decline. During emperor Franz-Joseph's reign from 1848 until 1916, the most recent additions to the complex were built including the Michaelertrakt - a wing with a monumental gate, the Michaelertor - and the Neue Burg, an enormous wing with a curved façade, facing Heldenplatz. Neue Burg was just a part of an ambitious project to build a new Kaiserforum, an imperial forum which would have connected Hofburg with the museum complex across the Ringstrasse via a series of triumphal arches. Alas, the outbreak of the First World War halted new construction. A mirroring wing opposite Neue Burg and the connecting arches were never realized. Despite spending fortunes on the construction of the Hofburg, the Habsburg rulers rarely resided in the palace complex, especially after the Schönbrunn Palace was constructed in the 18th century. The palace was mainly used for official obligations and meetings with foreign dignitaries. The most common way to enter the Hofburg is from Michaelerplatz. An ornate Baroque gateway, the Michalertor, connects the square with a large courtyard, the In der Burg, sometimes also referred to as the Innenhof. The monumental gateway is decorated with expressive statues of Hercules. Inside the wide passageway are entrances to some of the most famous attractions in the Hofburg including the Winterreitschule (Winter Riding School) and the Kaiserappartements (apartments of the Emperor. Entering the courtyard, you can see the Alte Burg - the oldest part of the Hofburg complex - on the left and Amalienburg - a Renaissance palace with a clock tower - on the right hand side. The Leopoldinischer Trakt (Leopold Wing) is straight ahead and opposite is the Reichskanzleitrakt, ornately decorated with monumental sculptures (The Labors of Hercules) created by Lorenzo Mattielli. The central door in the Reichkanzleitrakt leads to the Kaisersappartementen and the Sissi Museum, one of the Hofburg's most popular attractions.  At the centre of the courtyard - originally a parade ground - is a large monument dedicated to Emperor Francis I of Austria a.k.a. Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor. The large monument was created in 1824-1846 by the Italian sculptor Pompeo Marchesi. The monument shows the emperor in classical Roman attire set atop a tall plinth, surrounded by four other statues. The emperor looks in the direction of the Schweizertor, an old gate which leads to Schweizerhof (Swiss Court), the inner courtyard of the oldest part of the imperial palace. Its name is derived from the Swiss guards who were hired in the 18th century to protect the monarchs. Bordering Schweizerhof is Burgkapelle, a small chapel decorated in Baroque style. It is famous for the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boy Choir), who perform here on a regular basis. Another attraction at the small courtyard is the Schatzkammer (Treasury), a museum.  An archway connects Schweizerhof with Josefsplatz, a square graced with a statue of Joseph II, created in 1807 by Franz Anton Zauner. Behind the statue is the Prunksaal, a monumental Baroque room. It is easily the most impressive room of the National Library, which is spread out over the Hofburg. Following Augustinerstrasse from Josefsplatz brings you past the Augustinerkirche, which was originally built in the 14th century as the church of a monastery, but became enveloped by the encroaching Hofburg complex. In 1634 it officially became the royal parish church. Inside you'll find a magnificent Gothic interior. Further south along Augustinerstrasse is Albertina, the southernmost section of the Hofburg. The palace is home to a popular museum, founded in the 18th century by Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen. The museum is entered from a raised terrace which overlooks Albertina square. A large equestrian statue of Archduke Albrecht dominates the terrace. The most recent part of the Hofburg is the Neue Burg, an imposing wing built between 1881 and 1913 after designs by Gottfried Semper. It can be accessed from the Heldenplatz which is reached via a gate through the Leopold Wing coming from the Hofburg or via the Ringstrasse. Neue Burg is not only home to a number of museums but also contains the main reading room of the National Library. The Spanische Reitschule (Spanish Riding School) is a popular attraction of the Hofburg that is steeped in history. The famous horse riding school is housed in the purpose-built Winterreitschule (Winter Riding School), an ornately decorated building complete with a series of chandeliers. Named after the horses that show off their prowess in the Winterreitschule, the museum displays an array of equestrian-related items. We enjoyed some coffee & Sacher Torte (a local cake) at a coffee house in the Hofburg. After our coffee we enjoyed half an hour of free time before heading back to our coach for the ride back to the ship.

Hofburg

Horses in the Spanish riding school

Back at the ship we quickly had showers and got ready for an early dinner before boarding coaches again for the trip to the city to the Albertina Museum for a private concert of the music of Johann and Josef Strauss, Franz Lehar and Mozart. The palace is spectacular! And the concert was fabulous. Alison didn’t think too much of it, though. There were 7 string instruments, on percussion (drums) & 6 wind instruments in the orchestra. We were entertained by music by the orchestra and two soloists – a male and a female and three boys who are members of the Mozart Boys Choir. 

It had started to rain a little on our way to the concert, but by the time we came out, the rain was falling steadily. It rained all the way back to the ship and into the night.

Once back on board the ship, we headed for bed. Alison was very tired and didn’t feel like supper. I got a quick drink and we went back to our room. Alison was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow!

Doreen