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Viennese Iced Coffee



Yesterday we travelled 6hr by train from Kraków to a city that we’ve been waiting to go to for a while: Vienna! It is crazy to go to a city just because of a song? Perhaps, but that what we’ve done.

Immediately, Vienna has my heart. Each building takes my breath away, the whole city is truly stunning. There are so many intricate carvings on the walls, so many beautiful statues and squares… the whole city is a work of art. 
Evening Vienna views

We started the morning by experiencing some classic Viennese coffee house culture. Luckily, we had come across a cafe that was open on Sunday so I was able to get a delicious ice coffee (for the hot day) while Liam got a hot chocolate. 
Morning drinks

Afterwards headed deeper into the direction of the old town. The first big landmark we saw was St. Stephen’s Cathedral, an imposing building with steep spires and a tiled roof. 
Spire at St. Stephen’s Cathdreal

Inside the cathedral

Church square

The next church we discovered was St. Paul’s Church, which had a lovely domed roof adorned with beautiful frescos. 
Inside St. Paul’s Cathedral

Next, we decided to visit the Austrian National Library State Hall. This magnificent hall is full of ancient books and manuscripts, all house beneath stunning frescos. 
Outside the State Hall

Admiring the inside

Stunning ceiling frescos

In addition to the majesty of the building, there was also an exhibit on the history of Austria from 1925 to 2025, allowing us to learn more about this interesting country’s history. Something that stood out to me is that Austria is a formally neutral country, meaning they no longer participate in any military alliances or in supporting foreign militaries. 
Beautiful books

The oldest manuscript in the library, on herbal medicine


Our third church of the day was St. Charles Church. Although we couldn’t go inside today (there was a wedding going on), we’ll be back to see it soon!
St. Charles Church

For lunch, we had a quick stop at a vegan burger joint as both of us were craving something filling! Refueled, we made our way in the direction of the Hofburg Palace.
A quick lunch!

On our way, we stopped for a bit to lie in the grass at the Maria Theresien-Platz. Here, we could admire the stunning architecture of the National Museum of Natural History.
Admiring the National Museum of Natural History

Next, the Hofburg Palace! This palace was the principle residence of the Habsburg Dynasty, the most powerful dynasty in the history of Europe. Formed in the 11th century, this dynasty was known for their inbreeding and widespread reach throughout all of Europe…which all ended in the 1918 with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. 
Front of the Hofburg Palace

At the back of the palace

One of the women who was married into this dynasty was Duchess Elizabeth, who, at age 15, became Empress Elizabeth of Austria. We got to learn about her life and in the royal apartments in the Sisi Museum.

Painting of Empress Sisi

Sisi was an impressive woman who was never content with life in the Viennese Court; she longed for the freedom she had as a young girl, away from the public eye. Her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph, lover her very much, but this did not stop Sisi from becoming incredibly depressed. Despite this, she was widely considered the most beautiful woman in Europe.

Empress Sisi with her ankle length hair

During the museum tour, we learned about her disinterest in most political dealings, her restrictive diets, her daily exercise routine, and her restless need to travel. The only political dealings she had any interest in was the fight for independence in Hungary, which resulted in the joining of the Austrian and Hungarian Empires. 
One of the rooms in Sisi’s royal apartment, containing her exercise equipment

We also learned about her tragic assassination in Geneva, Switzerland. Her murderer was an Italian anarchist who meant to kill another aristocrat, but she proved more convenient. After her death, her reclusive habits were swept under the rug as the Austrian-Hungarian Nation mourned her death. 

After this interesting exhibit, we walked back to our apartment through a park full of people enjoying the sunshine. Tonight we get an early night so we have energy for day two of Vienna tomorrow!
Statue of Johann Strauss in the park


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