Day 6

Schönbrunn Palace

The Schönbrunn Palace is the most extravagant palace in Vienna. At 1,441 rooms, the scale of the palace and its grounds is incomprehensible. Palaces of the day (this one was completed in 1700) sprawled out over the landscape, but were only a few stories.

This palace was home to the Habsburgs, who ruled vast swaths of Europe until the First World War, after which it became a museum. The British used it during World War II and the postwar occupation, and the palace was host to Kennedy and Khrushchev in 1961.

The sheer scale of the palace is eclipsed by the ostentatious interior, which, at times, borders on gaudy. Unfortunately, photos are prohibited inside the palace. Among the tour highlights: a large painting in the Hall of Mirrors depicting Mozart’s first royal concert for Maria Theresia in 1762 (Mozart was six years old), the gold- and silver-embroidered bed that Maria Theresia used during her many pregnancies (of which there were 16), phosphorescent wallpaper, as well as the apartments of Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth.

After the palace tour, we strolled around the gardens, where my underwhelming feelings for formal gardens were reaffirmed. These, in particular, are a bunch of grass lots with shrubs and flowers that are prevented from growing over a half-foot high. I don’t understand the appeal—for me, the proportions are all wrong.

The Schönbrunn Palace is the most majectic palace in Vienna. At 1,441 rooms, the scale of the palace and its gardens is almost incomprehensible.

Schloss Schonbrunn — The back of the Schonbrunn Palace with a small portion of its surrounding formal gardens.

Neptune Fountain and the Gloriette — The giant Neptune Fountain below the Gloriette, the pavillion atop the hill.

The Neptunbrunnen, or Neptune Fountain, on the sprawling Schonbrunn Palace estate.

Schönbrunn Clock — Clocks, whether mecahnical or by sunlight, abound in Europe. Even atop the Schönbrunn Palace is this small, almost indecipherable, linear clock. The small golden eagle indicates the time on the roman number line.

Trees at Schonbrunn — Tree-shaven alley in the gardens at the Schonbrunn Palace.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

In the afternoon, we decided to tour the glorious Stephansdom, or Steffl “little Stephen” as the locals call it. Take it from me, there’s nothing little about it. Unlike most cathedrals, St. Stephen’s remains the center of Vienna, around which everything revolves. It is the heart and soul of the city.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1147, and various sections of the cathedral were built from that time until 1511. The cathedral was saved when retreating German officers decided not to carry out their orders to destroy Austria’s mother church.

Its towers dominate the Vienna skyline, just as they had in the Middle Ages. At its tallest, it reaches 445 feet (136 m), about one-third the height of the Empire State Building. Mozart was appointed its adjunct music director. He was married here, two of his children were baptized here, and his funeral was held in the cathedral. Beethoven would come to recognize his deafness after he saw birds fly from the bell tower, but failed to hear the bells. The cathedral is steeped in history.

Vienna's Cathedral — At the center of Vienna, the St. Stephen Cathedral has seen it all. Consecrated in the 1100s, the world's most famous musicians have played here, and it remains the heart and soul of the city.

Cathedral Roof — The roof of the St. Stephen Cathedral in Vienna is composed of colored tiles that form patterns and phictures. The tiny windows the poke from the roof are lost.

St. Stephen's Steeple — A tower at Stephansdom, the central cathedral in Vienna.

Angelic figures on the Pulpit of John Capistrano on the facade of St. Stephen's cathedral.

Pigeon Smasher — This pigeon is about to get it.

Playtime — It's playtime for the kids outside St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

Inside the Stephansdom, the St. Stephen Cathedral, known as Little Stephen to the locals.

Stephansdom's Altar — The altar of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

Roaming around town we came across a Greek church, a beautiful Byzantine building buried down a narrow street. We ventured in, but one could not go into the church proper. We wandered around town for the rest of the afternoon, it was quite lovely.

Vienna's Greek Church — A Greek church in Vienna, reflected in a spotless car parked beside it.

Inside Vienna's Greek Church — Inside the Greek church in Vienna, behind a glass door.

Vienna's most beloved musician, Johann Strauss, the king of waltz.