On April 3rd we arrived in Vienna around 8:30am. Without very good directions to our hostel we spent the first hour wandering the surrounding neighborhood trying to find someone that both understood English and knew where the hostel was. Of course it was basically right next to the train station. This was the first hostel we were staying at on our trip - and my first hostel stay ever. Thankfully they are nothing what movies make them seem like. It was easy and had everything we could have needed for our stay.
With the help of my Fodors Europe guide we decided that we had to see the Schonbrunn palace. Being the smart girls we are we were able to figure out how to get there on the tram. When we got off the tram and stood in front of the massive yellowish building I am pretty sure we all gasped. The front courtyard is ruled by formal design of rigorous symmetry, with every inch complimenting each other. Little did we know it got even better on the other side. We took a tour of the rooms available to be seen, learning about the Habsurgs family life and importance in European politics. After the tour we went to the back of the palace for one of the most breathtaking sights I have ever seen. The immensity of it all was unbelievable. The formal garden promenades that shoot off diagonally from the palace, and the woods beyond are merely a frame for the composition in the center. The sculptured marble fountain on the opposite side of the courtyard, the screen of trees planted behind and the almost vertical rise of the grass covered hill beyond make this entire scene mesmerizing. We determined that it would take days to see it all, and even then it wouldn't be enough to capture it all. I can definitely say that this attraction is a must see, and by far one of my favorites.
Continuing with our palace theme we went to see the Belvedere palace. It is one of the most splendid pieces of Baroque architecture and I now know why. The palace is actually two imposing palaces separated by a garden parterre boosting with fountains. Although originally lived in by a different person I was interested in seeing it because the Archduke Franz Ferdinand lived there later. The inside of both the upper and lower palace houses some of the most interesting rooms I have seen. One of Kayla and my favorites was an entire room made of only marble.
The rest of our afternoon consisted of walking through Old Town, visiting Karlskirche, and trying to get a sense of the Vienna lifestyle. The weather was really warm and sunny that day allowing the sun to glimmer on the pretty buildings. Vienna had a more city vibe then I had expected but you were still able to see the history shine through. The two palaces are what made me enjoy Vienna as much as I did, specifically Schonbrunn. I can still not get the breathtaking image out of my mind (hopefully I never do).
Austria was a very interesting country, and one that I knew very little about before visiting. After seeing what I did I am interested in learning more about it's earlier history. I have a feeling this is going to happen in every country though. My summer reading list will be covered with history books in regards to all of the places I visit. It was off to a new country the next morning, one that I was very eager to visit! xo
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