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Summer in Vienna, part four

Today, I tried to find a few locations to see Vienna from above. The city is not known for its many skyscrapers. There are a few elevated places, however.
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Millennium Tower on Wikipedia
The Donauturm on Wikipedia

Of course, a blog post like this could never be complete without a few pictures of the Riesenrad.

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As usual, all images are available under a Creative Commons License

@kevay and I spent another pleasant afternoon at the zoo. I have no illusions as to how much I suck at photography, but maybe you would like to have a peek anyway.
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As usual, all images are available under a Creative Commons License

@kevay and I spent a very nice afternoon with our cameras at Schönbrunn Zoo.

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Vienna by Night, part two

The Michaelertor is the "backdoor" of the Hofburg, the former residence of the emperor. — The Michaelertor is the “backdoor” of the Hofburg, the former residence of the emperor.

The Michaelertor is accompanied by two fountains. This is the one nearer Augustinerstraße.

The Looshaus, constructed in 1909 by architect Adolf Loos, is one of the beacons of the Wiener Moderne, or Viennese Modern Age.

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Vienna by night, part one

Now that it is getting dark earlier and earlier, I figured I could shoot a few pictures of Vienna by night. I plan to do a few more of these sessions, especially because I love this light and the wonderful contrasts. And it’s an additional benefit that, with an exposure of several seconds, you cannot see people walking through the picture.

Zanoni – Arguably Vienna’s second best ice cream parlour. Open all year, and they do really speak Italian.

Lugeck. The statue is Emperor Friedrich III, the one who still baffles the nation with his unexplained acronym AEIOU.

The two towers of the Jesuit Church from behind. If I’ve got it right, the bright star in between is the planet Jupiter.

Old University — The same church, front view. It

Schönlaterngasse, where they had a basilisk in 1212.

In my opinion, the Haas-Haus, facing Stephansdom, is grossly underappreciated. This picture shows the Haas-Haus from a rather unusual angle.

The Ankeruhr has its name from the insurance company (Anker, now Helvetica) whose building it belongs to. Every hour it shows a different historical character. The person shown is Johann Andreas von Liebenberg. He was mayor of Vienna and died during the 1683 Battle of Vienna. By the way, it’s 8:38.

Summer in Vienna, part three

The Viennese are world-renowned for their sort of macabre disposition. My siblings and I felt very Viennese last wekend, so we decided to visit the Kapuzinergruft (Imperial Crypt), where most members of the Habsburg family are buried. Well, not exactly buried, really. More like exhibited.

Kapuzinergruft Pietà — Why this Pietà near the entrance is crushing the heads of babies is beyond me.

Emperor Franz I Stephan and Empress Maria Theresia

bild1200-768x1024 — Another detail of the sarcophagus of Emperor Franz I Stephan and Empress Maria Theresia. Gives the word "stick figure" a whole new meaning.

This skull wearing the crown of the Holy Roman Empire is mounted on the sarcophagus of Emperor Karl VI. Note how a few teeth are missing. Creepy.

Summer in Vienna, part two

The Riesenrad is a wonderful example for 19th century engineering. People sometimes compare it unfavorably to the London Eye, which is twice its height. But think of it this way: It's only a few years younger than the Eiffel Tower, and it moves.

Schönbrunn Front — In front of Schloss Schönbrunn. I was not allowed to take photos inside the castle, even after I paid half a king's ransom in admission.

Najad — I just stood there and thought how I envied that najad.

The so-called Roman Ruin isn't actually Roman. It was built in the 18th century.

SchÃ¶nbrunn Back — Ugh! A baroque garden. What a cruel way to treat mother nature!

Schlosspark — The parks behind the castle are quite extensive, and beautiful, once you get past the baroque rosebeds and trees aligned with military precision.

Summer in Vienna

A few pictures I made today on a walk through the city.

Living Sculpture: Driving in Bronze — Living Sculpture: Driving Bronze

Burggarten: The hailstorm a couple days ago killed a few trees.