Category Archives: Vienna ( Wien)

Klosterneuburg Abbey, KunstHistoriches Museum, Stephensdom Vienna, Vienna ( Wien)

Touring Vienna from the River Princess

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Our first full day of the cruise offered several options for seeing some of the most interesting parts of Vienna; walking tours, bus tours and a combination bus-walking tour. The Rambler chose the gentle walker version of “Morning with the Masters,” an exclusive tour of the Vienna Art History Museum; exclusive because we arrived early in the morning before it was open to the public. There were at least 3 other options of tour, for the more active passengers. The senior Rambler opted to exercise yet another option, staying on board the Princess. LOL

In the afternoon, Uniworld provided a shuttle into the city. Since we had already seen quite a bit of Vienna on the Big Red Bus, the Rambler didn’t take advantage of this opportunity. The shuttle stop was at Schwedenplatz, which is on the other side of the Danube ,but more importantly a stop on the Vienna Metro/subway.

Schwendenplatz at night. Lots of things to do in the area.

That evening there was an opportunity to attend a concert of Mozart and Strauss music held exclusively for River Princess guests at the Klosterneuburg Abbey. The Rambler had attended two of these concerts on past cruises which were excellent, at two different Vienna concert halls. However, as this was a Masterpiece Collection event, it cost 79 Euros PP and would be held at the abbey instead of one of the many concert halls in Vienna. After checking with Heidicha, our cruise manager, I found that there were stairs with no railings in the historic monastery and decided to pass on it. This was a mistake. Everyone who went said it was wonderful, and even Jen and her 84 year old mother who was wheelchair bound were accommodated.

Klosterneuburg seen from above. The buildings form a huge square with the church at the front.

To repent for my omission, I have included some information on this amazing place that I wish I had seen. It was founded by St. Leopold in the 12th century and is one of the oldest and wealthiest abbeys in Austria. Although not in Vienna, it is in a close and wealthy suburb, north of Vienna, along the Danube. We would pass Klosterneuburg when we sailed the next night but we must have sailed past during the Captain’s welcome and port talk.

A relic of St. Leopold (part of his skull ) , id displayed at the Abbey. (t is an unusual reliquary to be sure. it looks like Leopold is wearing a very fancy skullcap!

It is a huge place that has been added to over the centuries but its final form took shape in the 18th century. There are many things to see and even a wine tasting of the Abbey’s wine is possible.

Needless to say there was plenty of space for a concert of Mozart and Strauss on the grounds. At night the Abbey is illuminated, which was another treat for the the River Princess cruisers when they left the the Abbey. If you have a chance to visit Klosterneuberg for a concert, take advantage of it.

One of the most beautiful altarpieces created by Nicholas of Verdun in the 12th century. It can be found in the side chapel, and is similar to the shrine of the Three Kings in the Cologne cathedral, also by Nicholas of Verdun.

Although the Abbey looks majestic today, it suffered much after Hitler’s forces took over Austria in the Anschluss (1938). The Augustinians were persecuted by Hitler, and most were forced to leave Klosterneuburg. Many were drafted into the army, others were killed in the resistance while ministering to Austrian Catholics. Even after the Russians drove out the Nazi’s, some Augustinians were killed by Russian troops when they tried to prevent the rape of Austrian women by the soldiers. Nevertheless, the Abbey has made a comeback since that awful period and is still under the leadership of an Augustinian Provost.

The Abbey church at night seems to have a timeless and mysterious aura.

Now back to the places the Rambler did visit that day. Our bus left the quay at 8:30 AM, as we would visit the Kunst Historiches Museum (Vienna Art Museum) before it opened to the public. We arrived at the Museum square just in time for the daily lawn watering; sprinklers everywhere. No wonder the surrounding lawns are so green.

Water, water everywhere. We had to step lively in order to miss getting wet.

The palatial museum opened in 1891, at the same time as the Museum of Natural History across the Maria Theresa Platz. Both were sponsored by Franz Joseph. While the Natural History Museum is devoted to the natural sciences, the Art Museum was built initially to house the art collection of the Hapsburg’s, which was extensive to say the least. However, the museum building itself is a work of art. Marble and gilding are everywhere and it is certainly worthy of the collection it houses.

The second floor of the museum, with stairs leading upward and the imposing dome at the top. The cafe looked like a great place to absorb the ambiance of the museum.

As for the collection itself, as you might expect, it is strong in works from the 500 years the Hapsburg ruled a substantial part of Europe.

The foundations of the collection were laid then and its main focus is still in the 17th century: 16th-century Venetian painting (Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto), 17th-century Flemish painting (Peter Paul Rubens, Sir Anthony Van Dyck), Early Netherlands painting (Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden) and German Renaissance painting (Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach).

One of the creepiest but oddly fascinating paintings of the four seasons by Giuseppe Arcinboldo, titled Summer…

The museum also houses the largest collection in the world, of pictures by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, my favorite, as well as masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Caravaggio, Velazquez and the Italian Baroque painters.

Velasquez famous painting of the Spanish Infanta, Margarita Theresa in a blue dress.

But it also includes objects from the Hapsburg Kunstkammer(treasury) opened in 2013, which includes the famous gold salt cellar created by Benvenute Cellini and other valuable objects, a coin collection and even some modern artworks. Obviously there was much to see and the gentle walkers only had an hour before the museum opened to the public at 10 AM.

Our guide did a good job, taking us through the museum in a timely manner yet providing excellent commentary

We had an excellent guide who managed to lead us through the most famous galleries and we even got to the Kunstkammer gallery to view Cellini’s salt cellar which was stolen in 2003, and recovered in 2006. It had been buried in a box in the Austrian woods.

The famous salt cellar,. You can see why someone might think it would be easy to steal. The problem is what do you do with it after you have it. The answer, not much. It would be really criminal to melt it down for the gold, just as it would be hard to sell.

The museum was a place where the Rambler could have stayed for hours, but soon our time was up and we headed to our bus. Unfortunately neither the cafe, a perfect place to have a coffee, nor the gift shop, with many enticing objects on view was open yet. FYI for those forced to be armchair travelers in 2020, you can order from the Kunsthistoriches Museum shop online. Recently, the Rambler ordered two COVID masks from the gift shop. The shipping didn’t seem too outrageous altho they haven’t arrived yet…and your purchase supports this wonderful museum.

One of the narrow streets leading to the Stephansdom. As you can see, we had to dodge construction barriers on our way.

Our next stop was as close as our bus could get to the historic center of Vienna surrounding St. Stephens cathedral. There was much construction going on and we were lucky to have a guide who knew her way around the historic district. As we approached the amazing cathedral, we noticed a very unpleasant urine odor. Our guide explained that the fiaker(horse drawn carriage) drivers congregate around St. Stephens because it is a tourist magnet and unfortunately they have not found a way to stop the horses from urinating while the fiaker drivers wait for customers. It was quite nasty, made worse by the summer heat, but luckily, the cathedral is relatively air tight and the smell did not follow us inside.

This picture checks two boxes;; the crow of fiakers surrounding the church at the bottom, and the famous tiled roof complete with imperial eagles.

St. Stephens is an ancient church, founded in 1137 AD, and added onto through the centuries. If you are looking for stark simplicity, you will not find it here. But somehow, the interior blends into a glorious whole. Although Catholicism has fewer believers in Vienna these days, the Rambler saw many people kneeing in prayer, including a young monk. These ancient churches have the most uncomfortable kneelers, but they were built for the ages. Just don’t let one fall, it makes quite a noise.

A young monk praying at a side altar with light streaming in the stained glass window at the top.

There are two things the gentle walkers didn’t visit at St. Stephens. The first was the crypt under the building which houses the bones of long dead Viennese. It has several rooms; the first houses the tombs of religious, the second, intestines of the Hapsburg family in separate urns, and the innermost, heaps of skeletons and bones which have been there for centuries. However, there are no more burials in the crypt since Emperor Joseph outlawed all burials in the city in 1783. The Rambler would have found the crypt interesting in a creepy way, but I suspect most of our group would not have enjoyed it.

Piles of medieval bones in the last room of the crypt under the Stephansdom, many victims of the first super-Pandemic, the Black Plague.. Not a place to visit on All Hallow’s Eve.

The gentle walkers were also happy to skip climbing up the South Tower of the cathedral – only 343 narrow steps – and over 240 feet up, to the watchman’s room. The Rambler heard that it provides one of the best views in the city, but this is something she would never have enjoyed, even on her best day, because of her fear of heights.

A shot of the stone spiral staircase that is the only way up the South Tower. Keep in mind that people are gong up and down this narrow passage at the same time. It is not for the faint of heart.

On our way back to the bus which would take us back to the ship, we passed another macabre place where the Rambler would have stopped if she hadn’t needed to keep up with her group., This was the Kaisergruft (Imperial Crypt) in the Capuchin Church, just around the corner from the Stephansdom.

The Capuchin church is a plain Jane compared to the Stephansdom, but there is a lot going on underneath its floor…

The 17th century church has a simple exterior but the large crypt underneath holds the remains of a dozen Hapsburg emperors and even more empresses and queens plus children and family members; 146 in all.

Skulls feature prominently in many of the tomb displays; Sic transit Gloria mundi!

The last Hapsburg burial was in 2011, Here you will find the tomb of Franz Josef and Empress Sisi (Elizabeth of Bavaria) and their ill-fated son, Prince Rudolph. It is a fascinatingly macabre place, and the tombs themselves are masterpieces of sculpture. Even more strange, the hearts of some, but not all, are held in small urns in a special heart crypt, (Herzgruft) along with the large mausoleums and tombs.

The tomb of Maria Theresa, perhaps the most successful female European ruler. She reigned during the Golden Age of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is certainly not as gruesome as some.

Back in the sunshine after our virtual stay in the Kaisergruft, we headed back to the River Princess for the daily port talk and a special early dinner buffet. Unusual, since the evening meal is a sit down dinner, the buffet was scheduled so that the large group going to the Abbey that evening, would not go off hungry. It was a nice touch. The rest of us, enjoyed a relaxing evening on board after a busy day in Vienna.

Arrival day on a river cruise, Franz Joseph and Sisi, Maria am Gestade, St. Francis of Assisi Church

ON Board the River Princess in Vienna

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Our last morning at the Palais Hansen, we packed our cases after another excellent breakfast and headed for the lobby. There we met a few other couples who were also headed to the River Princess. Pick-up is usually in the afternoon as the housekeeping staff has bas to work hard to clean all the staterooms after the last passengers check out at 8:30. Of course there are always stragglers, and not all passengers leave for the airport before 8 AM. Those who have afternoon flights are welcome to stay onboard and even enjoy a light lunch before they leave. The one thing they can’t do is get back into their room!

Cruises usually, tho not always, end on Saturday, and start on Sunday afternoon. One thing I have always wanted to do when staying in a city with many Catholic churches like Vienna, is to attend Sunday mass. However I have never been able to accomplish this feat on any of our cruises. This Sunday, I had located a church fairly close by -the Votiv Kirche was just too far. It had a mass in the morning, and it seemed that this time, I would actually manage to get to church. But there is always a hitch, and in this case, it was a good one.

Close up of the altar in Maria am Gestade, with beautiful stained glass.

The church in question was Maria am Gestade, which translates to the church of Mary at the Shore. It is one of the oldest in Vienna, having been consecrated in 1415, and recently has been beautifully restored. Sounds wonderful, right? Well the hitch was that the entrance is at the top of a long flight of stairs – with no railings. Long staircases are not the friend of the Rambler, and my heart sank when I saw the photo. There would be no visit to Maria am Gestade this morning. Instead, the Ramblers relaxed in the Palais Hansen’s huge lobby while waiting for the Uniworld bus.

Stairs and more stairs, thwarted again! I learned that it used to be on the band of a small river. The river was diverted, the ground sank and stairs were needed to reach the church after the bridge was torn down.

Onboard the bus on the way to the ship, the Ramblers again passed by St. Francis of Assisi Church, very distinctive with its red tile roof. We had passed it several times when we rode the Big Red Bus. Unfortunately it was not a tour bus stop nor was it a place we would visit with our Uniworld tour groups. However, it was clearly visible from onboard the River Princess, so near and yet so far. More about it later… The Ramblers were very surprised to see the many river cruise ships lined up along the Reichsbrucke dock. At least a dozen companies were represented, including many whose main market is in Europe. Because of the number of ships in port, rafting was necessary.

A view of the Reichsbrucke dock facing the other direction. An equal number of ships were docked in the other direction.

For those of you new to the blog, rafting means that instead of being tied up to the dock, some ships must tie up or raft to a ship that is already there. Thus to get onboard or disembark, one must walk through the docked ship to get to the rafted ship. Obviously this is not ideal, but it becomes necessary at popular ports at the busiest times of the year. Viking often has their own docks, tho not here, but they also have the most ships, which usually raft up to each other if necessary. This time the River Princess was the rafted ship, so we had to walk through a Scenic ship to board. Fortunately, the cabin stewards took care of our luggage, which they moved to our room.

Taken onboard ship from the sundeck. We were rafted next to a Scenic ship. St. Francis of Assisi Church is in the background center..

The Ramblers had visited Vienna twice before, the first time on a Christmas Markets cruise, when there were only a few ships docked. The second time, we ended up at the Ritz Carlton, courtesy of Uniworld, because of low water issues. This time our cruise began during July, the most popular month for river cruising, and also the month when many Europeans take their vacations. Seeing the dozens of ships docked along the Danube was a revelation to the Ramblers. It shows the rampant popularity of river cruising and the difference in numbers between off season and high season cruising. So you ask, why did the Rambler book during the busiest season? It had to do with trying to estimate when the water levels in the Rhine and Danube would be neither too high (spring) or two low ( later in the summer and early fall.) Because we had our August cruise cancelled last summer, it seemed like a good idea to travel a month earlier. We would have no low water issues but would find some of our stops crowded with tourists like us.

The first day of a river cruise is usually a leisurely one, as the passengers arrive during the afternoon. The early arrivals can get a bite to eat, or something to drink and even stroll around the quay. Many like the Ramblers, arrive the day before. Although our ship would stay in Vienna for 3 nights, on this cruise, many cruises leave by 5 or 6 PM on the first day, If you miss your sailing time, it is often very difficult to catch up with your ship, as most stops are in small towns with no direct transportation. Fortunately this has never happened to the Ramblers.

With the rise of terrorist threats, Uniworld security is always visible and photo ID cards are always checked when boarding. Then everyone is photographed for their ship ID which is needed to get off and on the ship. To the Ramblers, this seemed like a great idea. Not only did the staff know who was missing but what they looked like.

The staff, waiting to welcome the passengers on board, as on all Uniworld ships, the front desk area always has unique and very attractive decor. In this case, it was a giant chandelier.

By 6 PM, almost everyone was on board, and so the ubiquitous safety drill was held. We got to meet Captain Ronny, a tall, bearded Dutchman who very much looked the part of an experienced mariner. We soon found out he was indeed an excellent Captain. Of course a safety drill is part of any cruise, and many passengers don’t think it is necessary given the relatively shallow depth of most European rivers. However, although there are shallow areas, the Rhine and Danube have powerful currents, and cruise passengers have drowned in the past. Always good to be aware of this drill, tho there are no lifeboats involved, exit points are very important.

Next the staff was introduced; we would get to know many of them in the next two weeks. Finally it was time for the Cruise Manager, Heidicha Smith, to give her overview of our voyage. She was a very personable and attractive host, and seemed to have the ability to be in two places at the same time. At the same time, we got to meet some of our fellow passengers, although most were somewhat jet lagged. For the first time, the Ramblers met a large Chinese family onboard, including a 93 year old grandmother, parents, children, and grandchildren, including a very lively 4 year old. We later learned that they were from Taiwan and would go on from Europe to tour the United States; quite a trip with such a large group. There is a growing Chinese/Asian tourist presence in Europe, although the COVID crisis has no doubt affected it to some degree.

Afterwards, the Ramblers strolled around the quay, tho we didn’t go far. There were stairs to the bridge that led to the area around the dock but we were content to observe the activity around the quay. And there was St. Francis of Assisi church again. I later learned that it was built between 1895-1910 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Franz Joseph’s reign. It is ironic that although his reign was long it was a disaster for the Empire,. Yet Franz Joseph is commemorated everywhere you turn in Vienna. Much like Queen Victoria, he became a beloved icon in his later years despite his failures. Of course Vienna was the heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which ended with its defeat in WWI.

I found this great photo of St. Francis of Assisi Church on Wikimedia, uploaded by Bwag. Do you suppose it was taken with a drone? In the background you can see the Prater and the Riesenrad.

The Elizabeth chapel was added during the construction of the church in 1898 to commemorate Empress Sisi (Elizabeth) after her assassination in that year. The chapel in her honor was funded by donations from the Red Cross, as she was its First Protector.

The interior of the Elizabeth chapel. The decor is real gold leaf, because of the most generous contributions of the Red Cross.

Today it seems that the Red Cross has been around forever, but it was actually founded in 1863, in Switzerland, and took a while to get established. Like her husband, Franz Joseph, Sisi remains a very popular figure throughout the former empire and you will see her image in many places, including boxes of tea.

A photo of the Emperor in his later years, he does not look like a happy man, but would survive WWI an live in exile in the Netherlands.

A little about Franz Joseph and Sisi… Franz Joseph, the last Hapsburg ruler of the Austro-Hungarian empire ruled over an empire that was falling apart. He married Elizabeth, Sisi, a strikingly beautiful Bavarian princess and together they had 4 children. Unfortunately their only son died in a suicide pact with his sweetheart because he was not allowed to marry her. She was a commoner. The loss of the heir was traumatic to the couple and drove them apart. Franz Joseph became increasingly rigid in his ideas about ruling the Empire as he aged.

The Empress Elizabeth in 1864, with her famous long hair on display. In an era when upper class women wore their hair long, hers stood out.

Although Sisi was loved by the people for her many good qualities, she was obsessed with maintaining her good looks. She kept to a s strict diet and exercise routine, unusual for a 19th century woman. Another obsession was her very long hair, which took much time and care. She traveled almost constantly, probably to escape her personal demons, but did not care for the typical social life of royalty. Again, unusual for the time, she had only one companion, a Hungarian lady in waiting. This made it easy for her assassin to approach her.

The last photo taken of Elizabeth with her companion, before she was stabbed by an assassin. Because her corset was so tight, her wound bled very little tho she was stabbed in the heart. No one realized the extent of her injury at first.

Thus St. Francis of Assisi is a striking and beautiful church popular with the English-speaking residents of Vienna and it commemorates perhaps the two most famous people in Vienna. The church is situated very close to the Danube on Mexico Square,(Mexicoplatz), however the river in front of the church is actually the Danube canal not the main branch of the river. An island separates the canal from the main river.

Why is there a Mexico Square in Vienna? Because Mexico was the only country (beside the Soviet Union) to protest the Anschluss, Hitler’s takeover of Austria in 1938.

We would have two more days in Vienna to take advantage of its many attractions before the River Princess set sail for our next stop at Rossatz, Austria.

Aida Konditorei, Big Red Bus Tour, The Prater, Vienna ( Wien), Votivkirche

The Ramblers ride the Big Red Bus in Vienna

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After a leisurely day in and around the Palais Hansen, the Ramblers decided to further explore Vienna, but how to do it? The Kempinski concierge suggested we ride the Bid Red Bus around the city which would give us an excellent overview of the surrounding area. We had never tried one of these bus tours although we had seen them in many cities. His glowing recommendation tipped the scales in its favor. Sadly, the Ramblers were no longer the intrepid walkers of even 5 years ago. A walking tour was out of the question, especially in the unseasonably hot weather. The temperature would climb to the mid-90’s later in the day.

the Hop on- Hop off Big Red Bus which provides an excellent tour around Vienna. This would be our first time on the Bus.

Out of curiosity the Rambler checked the weather forecast for the same day in 2020; it called for a high of 71, with a good chance of rain. This was the Vienna weather we had expected but it was not to be. The only caveat to taking the Big Red Bus was the long walk (for us) to its closest stop. Although the Big Red Bus and its yellow competition stopped right next to a few of the 5 star hotels in Vienna, the closest stop to the Palais Hansen was in front of the Votiv Kirche, at least a half mile away. Yet the Ramblers did have the whole day and we could always call an Uber if we ran out of gas… On the plus side, it was a straight shot down the Shottenring, and the Church was visible from quite a distance. In fact, it was nearly impossible to get lost, and we didn’t!

As we got closer, we spotted the Votiv Kirche; we would have to cross several wide streets to get there while avoiding cars, trams and busses, plus bicycles and scooters.. It was a daunting experience at times for the Ramblers. We are used to suburban living and rarely cross busy streets.

Our slow progress eventually got us to the shady and pleasant park that surrounded the church. But…we had to walk through the park to get to the Bus stop as it was directly in front of the church. Since there were many places to sit down in the shade along the way, I left the senior Rambler to relax while I went to visit the Votiv Kirche. I didn’t think I would want to do this after our Bus ride, and I was right.

AS we got closer, we got a better view of the huge electronic billboard in front of the church.

The Votiv Kirche is a relatively new church, built to look old It was designed in the Neo-Gothic style of the 19th century to commemorate Franz Joseph’s escape from assassination in 1853. A contest was held to chose its design and the winning architect was a young Austrian, Heinrich Ferstel, only 26 at the time. You can find his portrait bust under the pulpit of the Votiv Kirche. Ferstel supervised the entire construction of the cathedral which started in 1856 and was dedicated in 1879. Unlike all medieval cathedrals which often took centuries to build, the Votiv Kirche was completed in just 23 years under the supervision of just one man.

It somewhat resembles the Stephansdom or St. Stephens Cathedral, the seat of Vienna’s Cardinal, as both have distinctive tile roofs, St. Stephens opened in 1160 AD, and extends 449 ft upwards as opposed to the Votiv Kirche’s 325. Instead of a saint’s name, its unusual title means ” the thankful church,” as it was built in gratitude for the emperor’s survival.

Up close, the electronic billboard steals the scene until you enter the Votivkirche.

It is well worth gong inside although the huge electronic billboard that blocks the view of the entrance until you get relatively close is somewhat jarring. I have never seen this kind of advertising in front of a cathedral anywhere else. However, it seems to be doing well, probably because you can’t possibly miss it!

The interior also follow the Gothic style, with wall frescoes and even an old fashioned ladder. Some restoration work was in progress.

When you enter, several things catch the eye, the beautiful stained glass and the reverent attitude of the people inside. I would have liked to spend more time inside, as not only is is beautiful, but it was also delightfully cool inside. I understand that it is also very chilly in winter as well. However, our goal was to ride the Big Red Bus around Vienna, and I didn’t want the senior Rambler to wait too long outside, so I didn’t stay too long inside..

Despite all the outdoor activity, there were a number of people inside the church, sitting or kneeling in prayer. Despite the construction , it was a peaceful and spiritual place.

The Red Bus stop was not too far away, and it was soon obvious that the bus arrived at regular intervals. We had bought our tickets at the hotel, so we were checked in, got our headsets and passes and climbed aboard. The Ramblers immediately noticed that the bus was not air-conditioned. Well, how could it be when the whole upper level was open to the sky. We would have enjoyed sitting up there on a cooler day, as it was a great spot for photography but we found seats on the first level instead. And so our journey began.

This is for the folks who have never taken a Big Red Bus tour, thinking the bus would be full of obnoxious tourists. This was not the case in Vienna, in fact, there were quite a few Austrians on board. As we found out, it is a great way to get around Vienna, and even the least expensive ticket costs less than 30 Euros discounted. For an additional fee, one can add a tour of the Schonbrunn Palace, a ride on the Risenrad, or in a fiaker (horse drawn carriage) and several others. In addition, although we didn’t realize this, besides the Hop-On, Hop-Off route that we took, it had two other routes; one which took in the Schoenbrunn Palace and one that took in the Hundredwasser complex. If I had know this, I would have been sorely tempted despite the heat, to ride the Schoenbrunn Palace route as the Ramblers never did get to see it. At this time, the Ramblers hadn’t heard about Hundredwasser, but would have enjoyed seeing it.

One of the first places we passed was the impressive Sigmund Freud Park

But, we settled ourselves in fairly good seats, tried to think cool thoughts and prepared to see Vienna. There were 15 stops on the Red route, at three, passengers could hop off and hop onto the Blue route instead. The Blue route had only 9 stops, but for the most part, traveled an entirely different part of the city. The headsets provided narration in numerous languages including English English. En route, we would cross the Danube(Donau) twice quite near where the River Princess, and many other river cruisers were docked.

Where better to get some Euros than from a giant piggy bank in front of the Prater Amusement Park.

One of the most interesting stops was the Prater; part Aging Amusement Park, part green space and recreation area for city dwellers, it includes a lake and swimming pool which were quite crowded on such a hot day. We got a good look at the famous Riesenrod or travel wheel, better known to the Ramblers as a Ferris wheel. It was constructed for Franz Joseph’s Golden Jubilee, and is one of the earliest ever built. From 1920 to 1985, it was the world’s tallest. Today it sports 15 gondolas which look like wooden cabins but are called waggons, and a 15 – 20 minute ride costs 12 Euros. However, one of the cabins is fitted out as a dining room where you can order lunch or even a 3 course meal, which is fairly expensive, almost 300 Euros, though you do get a longer ride.

The famous Riesenrad; 12 Euros will get you a 15 minute ride.

The Amusement Part rides in the Prater are somewhat faded, but they were still doing a brisk business and many people were strolling in the part. From there we headed across the Danube past the river cruisers, and then past the Donau Tower, Vienna’s tallest building. Cities like Vienna don’t have many tall structures as yet, except for church steeples, but some want to build more while others are strongly opposed to their construction. Fortunately the modern buildings are clustered together near the Donau Tower, leaving the inner city to the glorious historic buildings that line the streets of the inner city.

Vienna’s collection of tall buildings, the Donau Tower is the dark glass one and the most recently built. Fortunately they are not in the historic district.

The Ramblers did not take advantage of the Hop Off option during our ride although the temperature both inside and outside was rising. We were not sure just how long we were on the bus, but we did learn from one of our fellow passengers, that the temperature inside was over 90 degrees. Thus by the time we got back to the Votiv Kirche we were happy to Hop Off. It had been alot of fun but we still had the long walk back to the Palais Hansen.Even more important, we hoped to find a nearby air-conditioned cafe where we could have something to eat and drink.

After we again crossed the ultra-wide Schottenring, we scanned the buildings for a suitable place but no cafes were open, tho they probably wouldn’t have been air-conditioned. Yet there was one place on the corner across from the church that seemed to be open.

The Rambler had hoped to try one of the wursts at Wiener Wursterworld, but again I had the wurst luck finding a wurst. However, we did find and even better place to stop after our bus ride.

Yes! Not only was it open but it was air-conditioned. We had lucked upon one of the famous Aida Konditorei, coffee, ice cream and pastry shops. We slid our sweaty selves into one of the open booths and found just what we needed, along with several glasses of water. This Rambler does love ice cream and the dish I savored at Aida was excellent.

View from inside Aida, lots of pin k and vinyl. The Votivkirche is in the background

Later I found that the Aida shops had been established in Vienna by the Prousek family before WWII, but all were destroyed during the war. However, the family owned business rebuilt and eventually expanded the chain into more than 20 stores. They were first rebuilt in 50s style and colors, pastel pink being the prominent hue, with lots of chrome accents.

The pink exterior is somewhat faded but it was a welcome haven for the Ramblers.

The Prouseks have refused to change the look of the Aida stores so they are easily recognizable throughout the city. We found our Aida a life-saver, and one with a sparking interior, friendly service and fair prices, not to mention excellent ice cream. If you see one when you are in Vienna, drop in for excellent ice cream. The Ramblers can’t vouch for the pastries but they also looked very good.

I really am enjoying the ice cream, it was delicious and filling. Guess it was just a really long and hot day.

Refreshed, we headed out into the hot summer afternoon and walked slowly back to the Palais Hansen. It was not a fun stroll and we were glad to get back to our hotel where we could change our sweaty clothes and relax. Tomorrow we would leave the Palais Hansen and embark on the River Princess for our 15 day cruise to Amsterdam. There seemed to be a few people staying at the Hansen who were also bound for the Princess, and later on that evening we met others who had just left the ship. They gave it a good review, so at least one Rambler was looking forward to an enjoyable time…the senior Rambler was not terribly enthusiastic, I will admit. Hopefully he would enjoy the cruising and I was pretty sure we would meet some pleasant and interesting folks on board. One of the main attractions of river cruising for both the Ramblers, is the ability to enjoy the company of a variety of people from different places. This cruise would not disappoint.

Vienna ( Wien)

The Ramblers fly to amsterdam again…and on to vienna

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Unfortunately our last river cruise did not end well for the Ramblers. Not only did we have to take a substitute cruise due to low water, but the Rambler got sick at its end, and the Ramblers had to mark time in Amsterdam until we could fly home. At this point, the senior Rambler was absolutely not in favor of taking another cruise, yet somehow he was coaxed into just one more… that would go smoothly this time.

The Rambler thought long and hard about which cruise to choose and she finally decided on a 15 day cruise that traveled the Danube, Main and Rhine from Vienna to yes…Amsterdam again, on the River Princess. The Princess is one of Uniworld’s smaller ships with alas smaller cabins. However, their Super Ships don’t sail this route, because they generally need deeper water.

We had never sailed on the River Princess but it was the same size as the River Royale we were on for the Bordeaux cruise.

Because of potential low water issues in late July and August, the chosen cruise started in early July, when there was usually plenty of water. Of course, July is also the month when many Europeans are also on vacation, but given the options, it was an easy choice. Little could we imagine what would happen in 2020, but in 2019, this actually turned out to be a good choice. The Rambler would have preferred to start in Budapest, but no other Uniworld cruise fit her parameters and we are brand loyal.. Thus the Ramblers were booked to take the Alluring Amsterdam and Vienna cruise, starting from Vienna on July 7th.

Although the Ramblers had traveled these rivers before, this cruise made a few different stops and because the senior Rambler preferred cruising to sight-seeing, the banks of these rivers were lined with villages, castles and even some interesting industrial sites. At many stops, one can walk off the boat and stroll around without boarding a Uniworld bus.

The view from the Delta Sky Club in the International terminal, not much going on at the moment.

Part of the deal to get him to go was that we fly business class so my next step was to get a good deal on our airfare. This is not so easy. When looking for business class fares, the best prices are offered by consolidators, but those fares are chancy and not much cheaper than booking direct. Many cruise lines offer airfare deals but sometimes the deals involve several transfers, are really early or really late or might involve a long layover. There are no direct flights to Vienna from Atlanta; all the Delta options involved a connector in Amsterdam. Airfares can be volatile and I and my travel agent were watching the prices closely. Probably should have booked directly with Delta, but instead booked through Uniworld, which meant they would pick us up when we arrived in Vienna. Unfortunately I waited a bit too long, which cost us several hundred dollars. My advice is, if you see a great price on an airline site, jump on it; they don’t last long.

The senior Rambler getting set up in Delta One, we really were close to the galley.

We were set to leave July 3, arriving in Vienna, the next day. Our flight was comfortable, the service was excellent, especially since our seats were right next to the galley. My only concern was that our connecting flight from Amsterdam to Vienna took off less than an hour after we landed. To the Ramblers, this didn’t seem like much time to get from one gate to the other at Schiphol which is always crowded. No sense worrying, we though, as it was a regular route. Luckily we had wheelchair service and even then, we boarded rather late. Fortunately our seats on the connector were also business class so we didn’t have to struggle through a crowded plane.

The Palais Hansen Kempinski, a very large hotel, in a 19th century building.

With a sigh of relief, we settled down for our short flight. By the time we got there, we were dragging a bit, but fortunately the Vienna airport is much smaller. We met the Uniworld driver, our luggage was loaded and we were on our way to the Palais Hansen Kempinski. The Palais Hansen was not my first choice, but the AAA offered a free night there as a Uniworld promotion. The Ramblers like to get to our starting destination a few days early, so it was a no brainer. I added 2 more nights at a good price, including breakfast, and so we checked in July 4. Our cruise would start on July 7.

The breakfast room at the Hansen, many choices in an elegant space.

The last time we visited Vienna, we ended up at the Ritz-Carlton, due to low water, courtesy of Uniworld. We enjoyed our time in Vienna and were looking forward to staying there again. However, although the Palais Hansen and the Ritz Carlton are both 5 star hotels, we much preferred the location of the Ritz. The Hansen is located in the Borse (treasury) district, and there are hardly any cafes in easy walking distance while the Ritz offers several choices.The first night we ate at the hotel Lobby Bar. We never tried either of their two restaurants, De Kuche Wien, or their upscale restaurant, Edvard. The senior Rambler is not a fan of upscale eateries so we did not eat there. Honestly even the omnivore Rambler didn’t much like the food at the Rechnung Lobby Bar. But we were tired and not particularly hungry so it didn’t matter so much, However they did up sell the senior Rambler on bottled still water, which cost almost twice as much as my beer. Sometimes you really have to make a point of asking for tap water which is perfectly fine or you will get pricey bottled water. This is a real pet peeve of mine. Americans take it for granted that they will get tap water as they do at home, but this is not the case in Europe.

This trip I would be constantly frustrated in my search for tasty German and Austrian sausages. The hotel served Kasekriner, supposedly the sausage specialty of Vienna. Sausage lover that I am, I ordered it only to be disappointed in its taste…and it had cheese inside, not one of my favorites. In the next two days we would pass by several famed sausage stands, but I was never able to actually buy a decent wurst! Oh well, surely there would be other opportunities in our two week cruise.

The Rambler spent a lot of time in the rain forest, wish we had one like it at home.

One thing I loved at the Hansen was the huge rain-forest shower; it was a very relaxing experience. The Rambler took full advantage, knowing the showers on the Princess paled in comparison. We also enjoyed their breakfast which offered a variety of choices in a pleasant room with a garden theme.

We still had two days on our own in Vienna. Since there was nothing tour worthy in the Rambler’s ambulatory area, we spent some time people watching our first day there. Although Vienna doesn’t have the number of bicycles seen in Amsterdam, it is a place where people walk, cycle or scoot along on electric scooters. The scooter folks were the most interesting to us.

The pedestrian/ bike/scooter path is clearly marked. However caution is the word when you try to cross it even in the marked areas.

Later I learned that electric scooter rentals were new to Vienna in 2019 and the city was still not sure about their use. We have had similar issues in Atlanta which resulted in the curtailing of electric scooter use after some serious injuries and at least one death. The biggest problem in Atlanta was that the scooters had to share the roads with cars or the sidewalks with pedestrians.

In Vienna, there are many joint use pedestrian/bicycle. scooter lanes. Electric scooter users have to obey the same rules as bicyclists as they go about the same speed. These lanes are wide and well marked, and it is possible to travel from one to another for many miles. The Schottenring or Ring Road that circles the historic and cultural heart of Vienna, has one right down the middle of the divided highway. There are also busses and electric trams. Tourists need to look out for the trams as they are very quiet and can sneak up on you. We did enjoy the watching the traffic on these pedestrian/bike/ scooter paths. Of course the scooter riders were almost entirely young people, sometime with two riding on one scooter. They seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the unusually hot weather.

And it was HOT! Normally the temperature in Vienna at this time is in the low 80’s. and Austria gets lots of rain all year round. However, when we were there, the temperatures soared into the 90’s, Fahrenheit, of course. It remained hot while we were there, and as a result, we didn’t do as much the Rambler had planned.

We were happy to find this place. It looked cooler than it was, but it had great atmosphere. Two couple from the hotel came in while we were there.

We didn’t want to eat at the hotel again, except for breakfast, so we walked to a small place we had noticed earlier in the day, called the Borse Cafe. The Ramblers decided to have an early dinner as we hadn’t been hungry at lunch time. It was too hot for sitting outside so we walked into a relatively cool, wood paneled room. The windows were wide open, no air conditioning in most places here. No sausage either as the Borse featured Italian food, which turned out to be very tasty. We lucked out for a change, as our mushroom pizza was excellent.

Our jet lag was fading and the Hansen Concierge recommended that we do the Big Red Bus tour of Vienna tomorrow if we didn’t want to do much walking in the heat. Hopefully tho, it would be cooler tomorrow. Fingers crossed.