Well rested today. Managed to catch up on that missed sleep from yesterday. I think all the walking around helped too.
This morning we hopped the U-bahn and headed to the burbs. Destination: Schönbrunn Palace. This was the summer palace of the Hapsburg emperors of Austria. It’s touted as the Versailles of Austria I believe, but in reality, it’s not really up to Versailles calibre. The palace is indeed grand, and we had a nice audio-assisted tour of the rooms – lots of gilding on the walls and ceilings, bigger than life-sized family portraits, and original furnishings. But it lacks that ostentatiousness. And the grounds are expansive, with requisite ponds, formal gardens, and hedge mazes. At the far end of the grounds, up the top of the hill, there is a massive “Gloriette” structure, which is a miniature palace on its own. But again, compared to Versailles, these grounds have some pimping up to do!
After the palace, we we back amongst the plebs and spent the rest of the day visiting an outdoor market (Naschmarkt), a couple art museums (Secession museum housing a Klimt display, and Albertina hosting modern and classic art) and to top it off, a Time Travel history of Vienna (this was a schlocky underground “museum” that used animatronic figures and virtual reality to tell some of the history of Vienna. The hotel had recommended it as a non-schlocky visit, but I beg to differ.
That was it for today. Hot again today, and hot again tomorrow!
