I'm back here after a long time and it's been quite like a surprise to me to see my blog has now reached 32.631 page views - This is surprising because I haven't been posting since the last October at all. I preferred not to post anything as I haven't felt like doing - been too busy working lately and on my spare times, I never had time to write on a blog - instead I worked on a novel. But there are many other places I want to share with you, like Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Thessaloniki and many more, and I can't stop that powerful urge inside me anymore.

Vienna is a beautiful city, that's for sure. I had visited it last summer - almost one year has passed by then. Quite rich with its palaces, cathedrals, squares, and beautifully built houses. The hotel I stayed was a bit outside the city (outside means only 15 min. away anyway!), and there houses had lovely huge green gardens and the streets were very quiet. I loved that face of Vienna.

The central part of the city was a bit more crowded, but still peaceful. As someone from a huuuuuge city (Istanbul hosts more than 16 million people now...), Vienna is only the same size with my little town. It was quite strange for us to see all the streets in the centre by only walking around the city for one or two hours.

Vienna is not as colourful as Prague, or lively as Budapest, but it has its own characteristic and this is a unique one. I would suggest you to see the famous Stephansdom, Graben, the Peterskirche, Am Hof, Freyung, Hofburg, Albertina, Staatsoper, Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum), Naturhistorisches Museum, the Parliament, the Rathaus (City Hall), the University of Vienna, the Votivkirche, Schloss Schönbrunn, the Gloriette, and the Belvedere Castle.

If you will be spending more than a few days and clearly have more time, then you might want to see some other places I will not mention here. There are plenty of them! But here, you'll find a short trip around the city.

A Short Story of Vienna

First permanent settlements in Vienna takes place in Neolithic Age between 3500-1800 BC. and Celtic settlement of Vindobona on the site of today's Leopoldsberg happens around 400 BC. In 15 BC., under Emperor Augustus, the Romans establish a garrisson of the same name on the south bank of the Danube. In 166 AD., Vindobona was destroyed by the Marcomanni. The town is rebuilt and Marcus Aurelius makes it his headquarters, and the emperor dies in Vondobona in 180 AD. The first Barbarian tribes approach in 395 and the Romans are withdrawn from the town in 405. In 433, Vindobona is destroyed by the Visigoths and later by the Huns. Repeated invasions by the Longobards, Goths, Alani and Rugi between 500-650. In 796, Charlemagne defeats the avars and constitutes the Eastern March; the area is colonized by Franco-Bavaresi. The first mention of the city with the name of Wenia (from the Celtic Vedunia, "woodland stream") starts in 881, but the city falls to the Hungarians, then defeated by Otto I, who reestablishes the Eastern March between 907-955.

Otto I enfeoffs the Eastern March to the Babenbergs in 976. Vienna is occupied by the Hungarians but freed by Emperor Conrad II in 1030. The consecration of the Stephansdom takes place in 1147, and in 1156, the first Duke Heinrich II Jasomirgott chooses Vienna as his residence. In 1200, Vienna becomes the second most populous and economically important German city after Cologne. In 1246, the Babenberg line is extinguished and Vienna is torn by struggles for succession. In 1282, Rudolf I Hapsburg becomes ruler of Austria, and the Hapsburg rule begins, so the Gothic style flourishes in Vienna. In 1365, Vienna's University if founded, and between 1485-1490, Vienna is occupied by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary; the city is retaken by Maximilian I in 1490. In 1529, the first siege of Vienna by Suleiman II's Turks takes place, and the second Turkish siege comes in 1683. In 1740, Empress Maria Teresa comes to the throne; and under her and her son Joseph II's rules Vienna enjoys a long period of economic and cultural prosperity. In 1848, Franz Joseph, destined to give a new face to Vienna, comes to the throne with his wife Sisi. The year 1918 is the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; declaration of the Austrian Republic with Vienna as capital, but Vienna loses its role as capital in 1938 and Austria becomes a province of the German Reich. In 1945, Vienna suffers grave damage during Allied bombings. In 1955, Vienna becomes the capital of the new Austrian Federal Republic, and becomes the third UNO city after New York and Geneva in 1979.

Me in front of the Stephansdom

Squares & Shopping Sites & Cathedrals

Stephansdom is the most popular cathedral, located right at the heart of Vienna on a square that is called Stephansplatz. It is fantastic - it looks massive outside and with the height of its roofs, only magnificent. It is known as the first Romanesque parish church on the site, and consecrated in 1147, and the Gothic choir was constructed by Duke Albrecht I in 1304. In April 1945, in the last days of World War II, the cathedral caught fire during bombing, and was restored later. The cathedral is 107 meters at length and 60 meters at height. The splendid coloured tile roof, which was originally supported by larch wood beams and was completely destroyed in 1945, has been rebuilt in steel.

Stephansdom has a fascinating exterior design and will leave you speechless with its sculptural details capturing different historical moments in every special piece. I would suggest you to stand in front of the cathedral for a while, and see what's there - you will see a great deal of sculptures bringing the story of Christianity to life again.

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Inside the cathedral, there awaits a very surprising part with strange people faces on the walls: the Four Fathers of the Church on the parapet of the pulpit. Apart from that, there are many more to see inside the cathedral, and I won't be able to write about them all, but I would definitely suggest you to get inside to explore the world inside. I loved this beautiful building.

Graben is where The Peterskirche is located. Graben is the elegant shopping district of Vienna, a street for first-class purchases and a classical site for meetings. I remember my eyes getting wide open the first moment I saw the Swarovski label on a building (as if we don't have Swarovski in Turkey...), and spending more than one hour inside the store - it is massive with its 3 floors (or maybe it was 4?!), and like a dream with its product types. If you are looking for a special kind of Swarovski, then this is the right place. I bought a few pieces and left the store smiling like a dumb (A typical woman)...

The store from where I bought my lovely accessories

There is another store selling accessories on Graben and it is very close to the Peterskirche, but very unfortunately, I can't remember its name. If you just take a walk around this sqaure, I am one hundred percent sure that you will see what I mean - the store shows its beauty even from its outside.

Me in front of the Peterskirche

Anyway. Peterskirche is also worth seeing with its old baroque style and lively colours. It is said that the church was built by the order of Charlemagne, but this is not for sure yet. The interior, with frescoes and ochre-and-gold stuccowork, is the work of famous Baroque artists including M. Altomonte, L. Mattielli, M. Steindl, S. Bussi, and A. Camesina. The fresco of the dome is a masterpiece by J. M. Rottmayr.

This church is also worth seeing, especially its interior - just magnificent. It is quite small compared to the other two - The Stephansdom and Votivkirche, but has a unique beauty that captures all your feelings.

Me inside the Peterskirche

Go and visit it - it is just easy to get there and free entrance is a good reason to enter.

Around Graben, I suggest you to spend some more time to look at the stores - as already said, this is the main shopping area, and you surely will find something for yourself. If you are not in shopping mood, then you might take a little walk aimlessly anyway, as you will see quite interesting things during those walks. The horse carriage you see below is one of those interesting things you can never come across with in any other city easily.

This site has these two churches, and some other less famous ones hidden among the streets of central Vienna, so I would suggest you to walk around the centre, to get into the smallest streets without saying "There can't be anything interesting, this is just a simple street far from beauty," and to explore the city's real face. Because I believe it is the smallest streets that shows a culture's real side.

A street on Graben

The last one I want to mention is the Votivkirche - This one is a bit far from the last two, very close to the University of Vienna, and was under construction the day I visited it. Hopefully you will be luckier than me, and visit it during your stay in Vienna.

Votivkirche was erected by the future Emperor of Mexico, the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1853. Designed by Heinrich von Ferstel, who took his inspiration from the great French Gothic cathedrals of the 13th century, Votivkirche was the first post-Baroque church in Vienna. Each of the bell-towers are 99 meters in height and the idea was that of building a temple celebrating illustrious Austrians, similar to London's Westminster Abbey.

Me and Votivkirche in one

Me and a friend of mine in front of the Parliament

After seeing all these, when you walk towards the Rathaus, you will see the Parliament on your way - next to two main museums of Vienna. The Parliament has been my favourite as it has the evidence of ancient Greek architectural design. This building was completed in 1883 and was the seat of the Council State until the year 1918. A double ramp, embellished with statues of Greek and Roman historians - among whom Thucydides, Herodotus, Tacitus, and Sallust - and by bronze sculptures of the Horse Tamers, leads to the entrance. In the square at the foot of the ramp stands the monumental Pallas-Athene-Brunnen (Fountain of Athena Pallas): the goddess of Wisdom, more than 4 meters tall, is surrounded by allegorical figures: in her right hand is Nike, the goddess of Victory.

Palaces of Vienna 

Me at the Hofburg

There two popular palaces you should see in Vienna: one is right at the heart of the city, called Hofburg, and the other one is a bit outside the city, named Schloss Schönbrunn, and you can get there by tram only.


For more than six centuries, the Hofburg was the residence of the Hapsburgs, who governed first as Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and from 1806 onwards as Emperors of Austria. The Hofburg has no intrinsic architectural unity; it is rather the legacy of a centuries-long history in which each epoch has left its mark. The complex has 18 buildings, 19 courtyards, 54 staircases, and 2600 rooms. It has different parts such as Michaelertrakt (St Michel's Wing), Kaiserappartements ( a part where you can see the difference between the simple lifestyle of emperor Franz Joseph and that of his royal consort Elizabeth - the Empress called as Sisi in Vienna), In der Burg, Amalienburg, Leopoldinischertrakt, Reichskanzleitrakt, Alte Burg, Heldenplatz, Neue Burg, The Neue Hofburg Museums, Ephesos-Museum, and Hofburg Gardens...

In the Gardens of Hofburg

Hofburg is easy to find as it is right in the city centre, so you can ask anyone to show you which direction you should go - you can get there by walk. But Schloss Schönbrunn is a long way to go, so you'd better take the tram to get there. It won't take too long though - as I remember it was about 15-20 mins. away from my hotel.

Schloss Schönbrunn

Schönbrunn is not the most beautiful of the Austrian castles, but it is undoubtedly the most famous. The closest station has a Jugendstil work by Otto Wagner, which is distinguished by two obelisks topped by the Imperial eagle.

the Gloriette from my camera

The castle has an interesting story: It was destroyed by the Turks in 1683, and in 1743 Empress Maria Theresa employed Nikolaus Pacassi to complete the castle and she lived there with her 16 children (no kidding) as their permanent residence. From 1848 until the end of the long reign of Franz Joseph, the castle was used as the Imperial summer residence - so you will see lots of stuff left by the Empress Elizabeth inside the castle. Of the 1400 rooms in the castle (no kidding again), only 40 are accessible to the public. Tapestries, porcelains, chandeliers, and rare pieces of Chinese and Japanese art and furnishings in valuable woods fill these rooms. At the entrance, there are e-guides in different languages, for free, and really good at guiding you through the rooms, telling which room belonged to who, and used for what and etc.

The castle has a massive garden (well, actually they call this part as Schlosspark), and this has even more grandiose aspect than the castle itself: with its oft-restructered 1.6 square kilometers, covering almost the same area as Vienna's first Bezirk (Innere Stadt), it loses nothing by comparison with French models.

Upon entering the park, your attention will be drawn by the Gloriette, the elegant neoclassical arcade that dominates the low hill south of the castle. The Gloriette 19 meters in height and 95 meters wide, decorated with trophies, animal skulls, and armor, is the best vantage point for enjoying the panorama of the castle and the park, as it offers a view that sweeps over the entire city.

Schönbrunn Zoological Gardens and Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden) are also worth seeing!

Museums

Jane Seymour's portrait by Hans Holbein

There are countless museums in Vienna of course, but considering you'll have limited time just as I had, I suggest you to see the most important two: Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum. The first one is about arts, and the latter one is about the history of nature. I only had time for the first one (well, I had to pick one, and I chose art of course!), and visited it, which took more than one hour of course - this one was a huuuge one, and there you can see masterpieces from famous artists of history, such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Renoir and many more... This museum includes masterpieces from different cultures as well - like Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculptures and terracottas, French and Flemish tapestries (the museum owns these but cannot exhibit for reasons of conversation), Austrian Baroque and Rococo works, furniture, objects, German, Dutch, Italian Baroque items and so forth. I think the Bust of Isabella of Aragon is a piece one should see only because she was an important character in history. A piece I was happy to see is Jane Seymour's portrait done by Hans Holbein the Younger - this is a work you can see in almost every book telling about Henry VIII's life. Van Dyck's The Fish Market is also one of my favourites...

Cafes

Yummy yum...

Today, the number of cafes in Vienna is about 2000, and the coffee house is a true institution in Vienna. As legendary says, it all started with Turkish armies leaving Turkish coffee behind them, and people of Vienna changing it to make a more favourable coffee that would suit them.

The cafe I sat near the Rathaus

Now in every corner, you will see a coffee shop, and though there are a few famous ones (mostly the oldest cafes), I suggest you to get into the one you fancied. This is what I did - there was a cafe, where I could take a look at the beautiful Rathaus from where I sat, a cafe very close to the tram line on that street. I enjoyed the sun shinning on me, with a lovely cup of coffee and Vienna's special dessert Sachertorte (don't leave the city without giving it a try!)...

Rathaus

I'm sorry to be unable to tell you the name of the cafe, but if you follow the tram live that goes to Rathaus, there you'll see a big and elegant one - this is the one. Not hard to find, just look around.

Transportation

So, BON VOYAGE to you all!