Happy Halloween

When I was young, Austrians didn´t celebrate Halloween, but during the 1990ies it slowly but surely gained ground and became a considerable business. I guess it´s rather popular among young people who like to dress up and have a party.

Autumn Promenade

An impression of my national holiday´s walk... On the right you can see a small part of the Imperial Palace.

Virgina creeper

I discovered these windows framed with autumnal coloured Virginia creeper some days ago on Mölkerbastei in the city center.

Reflections #1

Some days ago I took a little detour on my way home to enjoy the sunlight and discovered this apartment building reflected in a newly constructed hotel on the banks of the Danube Canal, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel (You can see another photo of the hotel here). Please also note the two men on the rooftop.

Is this really a dog?

I stumbled upon this couple and their doggy during my yesterday´s walk in the city center. With the current temperatures such a tiny dog really has to be wrapped up warm. I followed the couple for some time and I can tell you that nearly everybody was pointing at the quadruped.

National Holiday

Today Austria is celebrating the day of the Declaration of Neutrality. On October 26, 1955 the Austrian Parliament declared the country permanently neutral. This declaration was the direct consequence of the allied occupation by the Soviet Union, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France between 1945 (end of World War II) and 1955 from which the country was freed by the Austrian State Treaty on May 15 the same year.
Traditionally, on this holiday the Parliament, the Federal Chancellery and the Office of the Federal President are open to the public. In addition a lot of museums are offering free entry and on Heldenplatz in the city center there´s a competitive exhibition of the Austrian Armed Forces - that´s were I took this photo on sunday when the preparations were still going on.

Braving the cold

An old lady braving the autumnal temperatures while reading the newspaper last saturday in a public park near the Parliament. Personally, I prefer to read the newspaper at home, snuggled up on my couch and a cup of hot tea within reach, but each to his own...

Teatime

Some days ago I was in a teahouse in the city center and had a delicious "thé à la menthe" (peppermint tea). I love the beautiful oriental glass and teapot!

These boots are made for walking...

... in the autumn rain and mud. I saw them the other day in a flower shop in the city center, where you don´t get only flowers but also many useful things for gardening.

Outstanding Façade

This building on Schottenring, constructed in the historicist style, is one of the first works (1877) of Otto Wagner (1841-1918), the most important Austrian architect and urban planner of Vienna of the Belle Époque. With its multi-coloured facade this edifice really stands out from the adjacent buildings.

Balcony #4

This balcony is near my office, I see it every day on my way home and currently adore the autumnal colours of the plants. Unfortunately the balcony is overlooking a very busy square...
On a side note, I´m wondering why lately there are hardly comments on my postings :-( Please don´t be so shy, your comments are more than welcome!!

W. A. Mozart

This is one of Vienna´s most photographed monuments: it shows Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and is located in Burggarten, a public park in the city center. The monument, made of marble and accomplished by Austrian sculptor Viktor Tilgner, was originally erected in 1896 on Albertinaplatz, but transferred to the Burggarten in 1953.

Colours of Autumn #2

When I´m in the city center, I usually pass by a flower shop near St. Stephen´s Cathedral and stop to admire the colourful arrangements. You can see other photos taken in front of this flower shop here, here and here.

Let´s have a break

After a walk in the park of Schönbrunn Palace, it´s always nice to stop for a bite to eat in one of the cafés nearby, especially with the current autumnal temperatures. This photo was taken in a small café in Altgasse. I love the higgledy-piggledy furnishing that gives this cafés a very special atmosphere.

Watching the ducks

Girls watching the ducks in the park of Schönbrunn Palace. Please also note the great view of Vienna in the background!

Schönbrunn Palace #2

The Schönbrunn Palace seen from behind the Neptune Fountain, commissioned by Empress Maria Theresia in the 1770s.

Naiad Fountain

This Naiad Fountain is located in the park of Schönbrunn Palace. In Greek mythology, the naiads were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams and brooks. If you zoom in, you can see some ducks swimming on the water.

Schönbrunn Palace #1

Schönbrunn Palace is the former summer residence of the imperial family. The Habsburgs resided here the better part of the year, Emperor Franz Joseph I was born here in 1830 and he spent his last years entirely in this palace. Only two years after his death (1916) the palace became property of the new Republic of Austria. Today it is part of UNESCO´s cultural heritage and one of Vienna´s most visited sights (In 2009 it was visited by 2,5 million tourists).

Coat of arms of Austria

The current coat of arms of Austria, albeit without the broken chains, has been in use since 1919 (First Republic). Between 1934 and the German annexion in 1938 Austria used a different coat of arms, which consisted of a double-headed eagle.The establishment of the Second Republic after World War II in 1945 saw the return of the original coat of arms, with broken chains added to symbolise Austria´s liberation.
The symbols and emblems used in the Austrian arms are as follows:
The eagle: Austria´s sovereignty (introduced 1919)
The escutcheon emblem of Austria (late Middle Ages, reintroduced 1915)
The mural crown: The middle class (introduced 1919)
The sickle: Agriculture (introduced 1919)
The hammer: Industry (introduced 1919)
The broken chains: Liberation from National Soictatorship (added 1945)

Colourful Sculpture

This is another sculpture in the Augarten, more precisely in the garden of Augarten Contemporary. Unfortunately I couldn´t find any informations neither in situ nor on the internet about this piece of art.

The Young Man and the Sculpture

During my walk in the Augarten I stumbled upon this guy, probably an art student, who first drew the sculpture, then potographed it and finally measured it. I´m wondering if his research will result in a copy of the sculpture or in a term paper/diploma thesis.

Arcades

Augarten

The Augarten is a public park in the 2nd district with a size of 52,2 hectares, it has the oldest baroque garden in Vienna with an elaborate flower landscape and vast, shady avenues lined with chestnut trees, elms, lime trees, ash trees and maple trees. The Augarten is also home to a wide range of facilites as the Vienna´s Boys Choir in Augarten Palace, the Augarten Porcelain manufactory, the Augarten Contemporary, the Film Archive Austria and it still houses a flak tower (Combat Tower) - pictured in this photo - and a Lead Tower constructed during World War II to protect the city from Allied air raids.

Façade detail #5

Today is an important date for the Viennese: it´s the day of the elections for the City Council and the district councils. On this occasion I decided to show you a detail of the facade of the Town Hall. I love the neo-gothic arches and ornaments. You can see the whole building here.

Schulhof #2

Until some years ago the building on the left side housed the doll and toy museum - unfortunately I´ve never been there. Look at its beautiful doorway with the atlantes and the balcony! On the right side, behind the tree, you can see (or rather guess) a small part of the Clock Museum which I mentioned already here.

Designed in Vienna

The day before yesterday the exhibition "2000-2010. Design in Vienna" was inaugurated at Wien Museum. The show presents the most important representatives of a new generation of product designers working and living in Vienna. One exhibit is this hairy bar stool designed by Dejana Kabiljo which is part of a whole seating series.
The chairs and stools are all hand made out of horsetail hair in different colours. The bar stool version was chosen by Philippe Starck to grace the main bar of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. It looks kind of funny, but I don´t think I would feel comfortable sitting on such a bar stool.

Vienna Design Week

Currently the "Vienna Design Week" is taking place. Exhibitions, venue-specific installations, theme specials, discussion events, films and opportunities to party and network aim to show and enable people to experience the many-faceted creative work in the fields of product, furniture and industrial design as well as experimental design.
All venues are signalised with a yellow chair. I found the one in this photo at the entrance of Wien Museum.

St. Stephen´s Cathedral #1

Finally a view of Vienna´s most important religious building,
St. Stephen´s Cathedral: the south side seen through Churhausgasse.
On this side of the cathedral the tiles of the roof form a moscaic of the imperial double-headed eagle with the initials of Franz (Francis) I
of Austria, Founder of the Austrian Empire.

The house without eyebrows

In 1909 the Jewish banker Leopold Goldstein commissioned the Austrian architect Adolf Loos (1870-1933) to construct a commercial building on Michaelerplatz (right next to the Imperial Palace, in the city center) for his enterprise. The building was opened in 1911 and caused a great scandal because of its, at that time, unusual plain facade without shutters, mantle stones or other ornaments. The general public demanded the demolition of the so-called "house without eyebrows" and Emperor Franz Joseph I refused to enter the Imperial Palace from Michaelerplatz ever again. In 1947 the Loos Haus was declared a historic monument. Since 1987 it is in possession of the Raiffeisen bank. (I took this photo two weeks ago when there was still Indian summer...)

Colours of Autumn #1

I discovered this beautiful autumnal arrangement two days ago in front of a flower shop in Naglergasse in the city center.

Modern windows

I realized that lately I have been neglecting the mordern part of Vienna, so here are some windows of one of the buildings at "Viertel Zwei" in the second district. You can see other photos of this new quarter here, here and here.

Museum Night

Some 680 museums and galleries across Austria will welcome visitors for tonight´s 11th "Long Night of the Museums" between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m. In Vienna you have the choice between 105 museums, which offer a varied programme of lectures, art talks and special guided tours.
One of the participating museums is Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). It was commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I in order to house the extensive art collection of the imperial family under one roof and to make it accessible to the general public. With its vast array of eminent works and the largest Bruegel collection in the world, it is considered one of the most important museums in the world.

October Theme Day: Graffiti

I discovered this colourfoul painted shutter of a candy store in Zieglergasse in the 7th district. I think it´s a good place for a graffito, it definitely looks nicer than the bare shutter.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants