Vienna - the World's Greenest City

On April 22, 2020, World Earth Day, "Resonance Consultancy", a consultancy group for real estate, tourism and economic development based in Vancouver and New York, published its list of the world's greenest cities and ranked Vienna in the first place because the city has "a bounty of fresh ideas about mobility and public parks. (...) The commitment comes from a history of methodical city planning that has given the world everything from the English garden-inspired City Park (opened in 1862) to an actual national park just outside of town (Nationalpark Donau Auen). Vienna is also the European benchmark for public transit, with almost half of the city’s population holding an annual transit pass (...)". Please click here for more information.

Deserted #3

After nearly seven weeks exit restrictions will end on April 30 at midnight and on May 2 all shops, hairdressers and beauticians will be open again (May 1 is a national holiday), on May 4 the graduating classes will be the first back to school. So slowly but surely we are back to what our politicians call "the new normality" as there are still a lot of rules to be observed. I guess there will soon be cars and people in this street...

Liechtenstein Garden Palace #5

It's not the first time that I show you the Liechtenstein Garden Palace, but it's always nice to take a walk in the small park that surrounds it. With the still valid exit restrictions it was rather quiet there.

Administration Building by Otto Wagner

The administration building of the Municipal Department "Water Management" was designed by Austrian architect Otto Wagner. It was erected in 1899 and is located next to the Nussdorf weir and lock, at the point where the Danube Canal leaves the Danube. The building's roof features a platform that served as an observation post.

Sunday Flowers #298

"The breath of flowers is far sweeter in the air than in the hand." - Sir Francis Bacon

Keep Smiling

We started the week with the reminder to not forget to smile and we end it with "keep smiling" by British artist David Shillinglaw along the Danube Canal.

Urban Jungle

The work "Urban Jungle" by Viennese artist and graphic designer Emanuel Jesse should create awareness for the shared living space of human and animal in an urban landscape.

Spring Trees

Spring is definitely my favourite season. I love it when nature awakens, the days are getting longer, the sun is shining more often and it's getting warmer. This year I love spring even more because watching all the blossoms and bright colours distracts me from the current restrictions and the uncertain future.

Social Distancing #3

When the weather is fine, the benches in the inner courtyard of MuseumsQuartier Wien usually are crowded. This was not the case some weeks ago... It's really strange to see places that are usually frequented by a lot of people so empty... The day before yesterday the government announced that at the end of April new exit restrictions will be announced... Let's see...

#Wellbeback

As a matter of course currently all cultural venues are closed and one summer festival after the other is cancelled. It is not yet clear which requirements the theatres will have to fulfill when they will get the permission to reopen.

On Sunday I passed by the theatre Schauspielhaus Wien in the 9th district. The venue started as a cabaret theatre at the beginning of the 20th century, later it was converted into one of Vienna's first cinemas, and in May 1978 it was opened as a theatre. One of its directors (1987-1990) was the Hungarian writer George Tabori. The focus of the theatre is on contemporary writing with a great variety of diverse accesses to authorship and a politically involved programming.

Don't Forget to Smile

Well, the "current situation"- as it is often paraphrased - is hard for many people in many different ways. It takes a lot of perseverance and it's really not easy to stay positive. I try to find at least one little thing per day that makes me smile or brings some joy into my life. Sometimes I have to be very attentive to find something, but then it's suddenly at my feet... 

Sunday Flowers #297

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden." - Frances Hodgson Burnett

Museums Will be Reopened

Museums are allowed to open their door to visitors again from mid-May. The Austrian Federal Museums (Albertina, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Belvedere, MAK, Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Museum of Natural History Vienna, Museum of Technology, Austrian National Library) have already communicated that for economic reasons they will reopen only at the end of June. Let's see when the Clock Museum (in this photo) will be open again...

Not so Deserted Anymore

Yesterday I had to get something done in the city center. There were more people than the last time I was there, but in most of the reopened shops I saw only the employees and the atmosphere on Graben, a normally busy street, was still very quiet.

Sunset Obsesssion #51

The sunset the before yesterday seen from the Danube Island. If I ever will get sick of sunsets? 

New Rules

Yesterday Austria started to reopen public life: small shops and garden centres opened again, in Vienna the Federal gardens reopened and the resctricitons for the use of public  transport were lifted. But there are new rules: only a limited number of clients are allowed to enter the shops, they have to use a trolley and most importantly nose and mouth have to be covered by a mask or a scarf, even in the public means of transport. If everything goes well further reopenings will be possible at the beginning of May.

Spring Tree

Last week and during Easter we had some very sunny and warm days and nature exploded into bloom. I just can't get enough of all those blossoming trees! They are such a cheerful sight.

Easter Bunny

I live close to the Danube and when I return home from my walks on the banks of the river, I often see rabbits running around. I'm always so happy to see them!

Happy Easter!

This Easter is different as family gatherings are not allowed (if the family members are not living together) and churches are closed.  Plush bunnies of course are excepted ;-)

Dancing Alone

I took this photo in the first week of the exit restrictions when the situation was still very new and felt strange. This girl was listening to some music with her earphones and dancing alone on the banks of the Old Danube, lost to the world... A good symbol for today: it's my birthday and I guess this time it will be a very special day...

Still Getting Used to the new Accessory...

The anti-corona virus restrictions have been prolonged until the end of April. Since Monday, April 6, wearing a "nose mouth protection" in supermarkets and drugstores is compulsory. It doesn't have to be a face mask, we can also use a scarf, but the nose and the mouth have to be covered. I used my face mask yesterday for the first time and I have to say that I found it rather uncomfortable, especially as I'm currently having a pollen allergy... As of April 13 this protection will also be compulsory in public transport. Restaurants, bars, cafés etc. are still closed until further notice, but food pick-ups are now permitted. Earlier this week a step-by-step reopening of economic life was announced: As a first step individual shops (max. 400 m² shop area and garden centres) will be reopened (of course masks will be compulsory) on April 14. If there is a steep rise in COV-19 cases, the reopening of public life will be stopped or even reversed immediately. Let's hope for the best...

Mölker Bastei

Today Mölker Bastei is an address in the city center, but from 1531 until 1861 it was a bastion of the city wall.  With the demolition of the city wall, the bastion was also destroyed. A small part of the area was not inclined, and in 1871 a supporting wall was erected.

Big Mutter

"Big Mutter", a sculpture by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm is currently located in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral. There are more of his sculptures inside the cathedral (which is temporarily closed because of the pandemia), and Wurm even created the lenten cloth.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches. Usually the square in front of the cathedral is terribly crowded, but with the current exit restrictions it was deserted when I passed by.

Flower Bicycle

Spring has sprung... also on this bicycle. I recently saw it twice in my neighbourhood - in different locations. So it's not only there for decoration, but also used for getting around. I would love to know who is its owner.

Sunday Flowers #296

"She sprouted love like flowers, grew a garden in her mind, 

and even on the darkest days, from her smile the sun still shined." - Erin Hanson

Florido Tower And its Reflection

The office building Florido Tower in the 21st district is one of Vienna's tallest buildings. It's located next to the Floridsdorfer Wasserpark (Waterpark Floridsdorf) where I currently pass on a regular basis during my afternoon walks. Yesterday the atmosphere seemed to me special and I also liked the reflection of the building in the water.

Social Distancing #2

Here's another example of social distancing...

Social Distancing #1

That's what a chat in the street looks like in spring 2020: keeping a distance of at least 1m to each other... 

April Theme Day: School

When I step on my balcony and look to the left, I see this green building. It's part of a school campus that is to be opened in September this year. It will be named after Christine Nöstlinger, an Austrian writer best known for children's books. Speaking of schools: currently of course all schools are closed and so far it is not clear if they will be opened again before the end of the school year in June. Only the A Levels are planned to take place in the second half of May (two weeks later than primarily scheduled).
Click here to view the photos of all participants in the theme day.