Matchstick Man

I discovered this matchstick man some weeks ago in the city center.

Winter Wonderland

By now Vienna is completely free of snow, but in the window of a confectionary there´s a still a winter wonderland.

Façade Detail #19

Caryatids on an apartment building in the 3rd district.

Inspiration?

In Vienna, the ball season is currently reaching its peak. The headdress and necklace of this vintage model might serve as inspiration for a ball outfit.

Sunday Flowers #61

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow." - Proverb from Guinea

There´s Still Some Snow

Whereas the streets are again free of snow, the lawn in the Burggarten is still snow-covered.  In the background you can see the Palm House (which houses a restaurant and the Butterly House.)

Sweet Lucky Charms

In Austria pigs symbolize good luck.At the K. u. K. (Imperial and Royal) Court Confectionary Bakery "Demel" I recently discovered these meringue lucky charms.

Inside "Demel"

The K. u. K. (Imperial and Royal) Court Confectionary Bakery "Demel", founded in 1786, is the most famous pastry shop and chocolatier in Vienna. The waitresses address their patrons in the 3rd person ("He/She wishes"), which is the historical polite form of address in German.

Snowman

During my walk in Stadtpark last Sunday I saw a lot of snowmen. They were all different in size, physique and clothing - this fellow was one of my favourites. In the meantime the snow has melted and the city is back to its normal speed and winterly grayness.
Update 07.30 a.m.: Vienna is again covered with a thin blanket of snow.

Sledding Street

In Vienna there are two official "sledding streets" - streets that aren´t cleared from snow so that children can have fun sledding there. There are also hills in some parks that have been safety certified in accordance with official regulations. For more information please click here.

Bicycles in The Snow

This photo is courtesy by my aunt who took it last Friday in the courtyard of the apartment building where she´s living.

Sweet Sunday #14

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." - Ernestine Ulmer

A Walk in the Snow

Yesterday in the late afternoon: A mother and her daughter braved the cold and the wind and took a walk in the snowy Burggarten.

Liechtenstein Garden Palace #1

The Liechtenstein Garden Palace houses one of the world´s  largest and most important private art collections, which  is owned by the Prince von und zu Liechtenstein and contains masterpieces of art from the early Renaissance to the High Baroque. From 2004 to 2011 the palace was open to the public as a museum, now the focus is on high-end events and pre-booked guided tours of the Princely Collections. For registration please click here.

Art Tales

The new installation "Art Tales" in the window of the Swarovski store in the city center is a cooperation with the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Fine Arts) to promote the reopening of the Kunstkammer (Art Chamber) in March. Among the highlights of the Kunstkammer are outstanding works of the goldsmith’s art, such as the famous Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini, first-rate specimens of sculpture, masterly bronze statuettes, filigree and bizarre ivory objects and virtuoso stone vessels as well as precious clocks, complicated automatons, remarkable scientific instruments, precious games and much more.

Light in The Dark

The interior of the café-restaurant "Corbaci", located in the MuseumsQuartier, was created by French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal. The  eye-catching ceiling tiles were specially designed for this space by Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier, a Turkish artist living in Vienna. The menu offers nouvelle Austrian cuisine with a Mediterranean influence.

Snow in the City

When I got up yesterday, a thin blanket of snow covered the city. This is how Stephansplatz looked like on my way to the office. In the meanwhile the better part of the snow unfortunately has turned into slush...

Vineyard & Winter View of the Town

This was the view during my walk on New Year´s Eve: Vineyards on the hillside of Kahlenberg and the town, somewhere down there in the mist...

Sunday Flowers #60

"Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." - Luther Burbank

Winter Promenade

 

On New Year's Eve I escaped the hustle and bustle of the city center and took a walk at the foot of Kahlenberg. The modern buildings on top of this mountain are the Hotel Kahlenberg and the Modul University Vienna, in between you can see the spire of St. Joseph.

Modern Architecture

Two examples of modern architecture in one photo: In the foreground the 4* hotel Novotel Wien City, in the background the UNIQA Tower, the office building of an insurance group. For more photos of the UNIQA building please click here, here and here.

Spongebob

A control box disguised as Spongebob - recently spotted in the 6th district.

Colourful Blankets

I think currently not even people inured to the cold would choose to dine at one of these tables in front of a restaurant in the 6th district - despite the blankets ready to hand.

Art Nouveau Building

This beautiful Art Nouveau apartment building is located in Porzellangasse in the 9th district. I would like to know who lives on the top floor and what is going on behind these curtains...

Winter Sale

In Vienna sale started the very first work day after the holidays which is good for everybody who got a gift certificate for Christmas. Putting bags in the window is obviously a popular (and simple) way to promote sales - for more examples please click here and here.

Servite Church

In 1638 Emperor Ferdinand III allowed the Servite Order to found a monastery in Vienna. The foundation stone of the church of the Servites was laid in November 1751. Inspired by Italian architecture the church was built by Martin Carlone and dedicated to the Annunciation to the Virgin. The church was consecrated in 1760 though the interior decoration was completed  only 7 years later.

Apples in the Shop Window

What a simple, but eye-catching decoration in the window of a home décor shop while it´s closed for Christmas holidays: scattered apples...

Come in

Doesn´t the arrangement of wine barrels, checkered tableclothes and illuminated trees at the entrance of a Heuriger in the city center look very inviting?

My Favourite Part of Leopoldstadt

Let´s start the new year with a photo of a part of my favourite square in the second district (Leopoldstadt). It is located at the quiet part of Praterstraße next to the Danube Canal and has a very special (Parisian) atmosphere. The statue shows Austrian opera singer, actor and playwright Johann Nestroy. For more photos of this square please click here, here and here.

Last Sunset in 2012

Instead of going to the "New Year´s Path", the party zone in the city center (where entertainment started already at 2 p.m.), I prefered to take a walk in the calm outskirts. There I happened to see the last sunset in 2012.

Happy New Year!

New Year´s sweets decorated with lucky charms - except for the snowman who is just holding a bottle of sparkling wine... I hope you will all have a sweet new year!