Day 13 Sunday June 5/11 Vienna City Tour

In the morning a coach met us pier side and toured us around the famous Ringstrasse, the broad thoroughfare which has the many imperial buildings and monuments that give Vienna the "wedding cake" appearance.  I had heard Vienna described this way and couldn't imagine the metaphor but now of course I get it.  There are many white buildings with incredibly ornate decorations.  As we toured the Ringstrasse by bus, Ron, our guide was talking so fast and pointing out so many landmarks that our heads were spinning.  

I was glad to get off the bus for the walking tour.  We went to the Hofburg Palace complex, and complex is the only way to describe it.  It goes on and on and it was very hard to tell in such a short time what was what.  We toured the Austrian National Library which has been described as the most beautiful library in the world.  It was something else!  We saw the stables of the famous Lipizzan horses and even caught a glimpse.  We could have opted out of the included tour and gone to a show.  It is now on my bucket list to see them perform.

We passed the famous "Graben" (trench) a legendary street in the city centre dating back to Roman days.  It is overwhelming really, the buildings and monuments of significance in Vienna.  It needs more than a day!  

Our guide giving us more information than we could process. 

Lipizzaner

Library foyer

In the library.  Beautifully Baroque.

They aren't born white! 

Wedding cake buildings.  Repairs are on going to keep these historic buildings at their best. 

 Roman ruins in the centre of the city. 

Ooh la-la shopping! It was Sunday so the shops were closed.  Could not have afforded one thing anyway.  We saw a watch for the equivalent of $750,000 U.S. in a window at Cartier. 

We enjoyed walking on our own.  The beauty of this city is hard to imagine.  You have to see it.  

Don't really understand this but felt the need to be part of it!  

This is the "Pestsaule" (Plague Column).  It is stunning. 

The famous Hapsburg chin is obvious here.  History says that as they ran out of  suitable marriage partners they started to marry within the family to maintain the line.  Subsequently, defects surfaced.  Strange indeed!  This may require more research! 

McDonalds

Lots of people were dressed in period costumes and handing out programs to concerts for the evening. 

Inside St. Stephen's Cathedral.  Mass was going on but we could stand at the back and take pictures.  The colours were incredible.  

John and I had an espresso at a cafe across form the cathedral and at the spot where you could rent horse carriage tours.  It was a bit smelly but picturesque. 

Pretty window boxes at the base of the cathedral. 

Dancers in traditional costumes were entertaining. If you look closely at the facade of the Cathedral you may see the greyish sections that don't quite match.  These are actually screens covering scaffolding.  The Cathedral is under repair and the screens have photographs of the real facade.  It was strange to see them wavering in the wind. 

Too bad it was closed.