Happy Halloween!

I recently read in the newspaper that every second Austrian under 30 celebrates Halloween. So this festivity has gained ground since my childhood when it was completely ignored... I discovered these two pumpkins last Sunday in front of a house in the 19th district, obviously the home of some youngsters. How about you? Are you celebrating Halloween?

Japanese Autumn

Beautiful autumnal colours in the Setagaya Park, a Japanese garden in the 19th district. For a similar photo in spring please click here.

Entrance of a Courtyard

I don't like crowds (see yesterday's photo), I prefer the city's quiet corners, especially courtyards. Here is the entrance of the courtyard of the Teutonic Order. For photos of the courtyard itself please click here, here, here and here.

Sunny Holiday

Last Saturday was Austrian National Holiday and we were spoiled with sunshine and (for this time of the year) unusual temperatures of around 20°C. Everybody was out and about and a lot of people had a break at the café/restaurant "Palmenhaus" in the Burggarten.

Sunday Flowers #95

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November." - Rose G. Kingsley

The Vienna River

The Wien (Vienna River) has its source in the western Wienerwald and flows into the Danube canal. It is 34 kilometres (21 miles) long, of which 15 km are within the city of Vienna. In this photo you see the river running through the autumnal Stadtpark.

Breaking The Rules: Bratislava #4

The Old Town Hall is a complex of buildings from the 14th century. It is the oldest city hall in Slovakia and one of the oldest stone buildings still standing in Bratislava, with the tower being built approximately in 1370. It houses the city's oldest museum, the Bratislava City Museum.

Breaking The Rules: Bratislava #3

The beautiful Art Nouveau Palace of the Hungarian Exchange Bank in the main square.

Breaking The Rules: Bratislava #2

Kapitulská ulica, constructed in the 13th century, is one of the oldest streets in Bratislava. It is lined with beautiful old and landmarked but also with ruinous palaces.

Breaking The Rules: Bratislava #1

Sunday before last I made an excursion to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, only 1 hour by train away from Vienna. Slovakia's president resides at the Grassalkovich Palace, a Rococo/late Baroque summer palace with a French garden. It was built in 1760 for Count Antal Grassalkovich and soon became a center of Baroque musical life in Bratislava: Joseph Haydn premiered some of his works here.

Friendly Face

I recently discovered this friendly face in the Viertel Zwei area. It makes me smile every time I look at it. I hope you feel the same and have a good start into the new week!

Sunday Flowers #94

"Deep in their roots all flowers keept the light." - Theodore Roethke

Autumnal Leaves

Autumnal Viriginia creeper in a courtyard in the city center. 

Prince Eugene's Summer Residence

Prince Eugene of Savoy, famed military leader and art connoisseur was born 350 years ago (18 October 1663 - 21 April 1736). He had the two Belvedere palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere) built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as his summer residence. The construction work took place between 1717 and 1723. This photo shows the Upper Belvedere which primarily had a representative function at the time of the Prince and later served as an Imperial painting gallery. Today it houses the permanent collection of the "Österreichische Galerie Belvedere" museum: Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Hidden Flower Shop

This beautiful flower shop is hidden in a courtyard in the city center. You have to pass another courtyard to get there. I guess it doesn't have a lot of occasional customers and I'm wondering how long it will survive financially...

New University of Economics #5

Somehow I'm attracted to the new campus of the University of Economics and Business with its interesting and (still) fresh looking buildings. The campus was officially inaugurated on October 4 and now starts to "come to life".

Parallel Vienna

Here's an impression of the "Parallel Vienna", a very contemporary art fair held at the former K&K Telegrafenamt (Imperial and Royal telegraph office).

Beautiful Staircase

Besides the art fair "Viennafair" (mentioned here and here), last weekend another art event was going on: the "Parallel Vienna", a platform for innovative forms of presentation of contemporary art. It took place at the former K&K Telegrafenamt (Imperial and Royal telegraph office), a city palais from the 19th century. The building is very much run down, but the staircse is still beautiful.

Sunday Flowers #93

 “Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.” - William Cullen Bryant

Tony Soprano

This huge (5,5m) sculpture of Tony Soprano by the Lithuanian artist Donatas Jankauskas is located in the center of the stands at the Viennafair.