Vienna, Austria
The River Cloud had remained dockside on Danube about two miles from the center of Vienna, through out the evening and into the next morning. Our second day in Vienna began early, with a short bus ride to the palace of Schönbrunn the summer residence of royal imperial family, who used this palace for many generations and still today it is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here for most of the year, and Emperor Franz Joseph, husband to Empress Sisi, was born in the palace in 1830. Schönbrunn remained home to Emperor Joseph during his reign from 1848 to 1916 and after his death was turned over to the Republic of Austria and designated a Unesco World Heritage Site due to its cultural and historical value. Today more than 400,000 people travel to Vienna, Austria, just to make a visit to the Schönbrunn palace and its grounds.
Outside the main entrance guests from the River Cloud were divided into two groups and began our tour of this enormous property with an overview of the outside and main entrance. Once inside our guides moved us through part of what had once been the royal apartments filling in our views with some of the hidden secrets and stories about Emperor Franz Joseph and his very famous wife, Sisi. After our hour-long tour was complete we were invited to the royal bakery for a late morning pastry and coffee, which included an apfelstrudel demonstration. We were not only treated to a fine sample of this well-known Austrian pastry we were also taught how to make it!
A short walk from the Royal Bakery found our group in the Marionette Theater. The owners, or rather “dancers” of the marionettes gave a brief introduction on how one moves a marionette, something that takes a lifetime to learn, and then we were all treated to a performance of Mozart’s “Eine Kleine NachtMusick.” The music and the marionettes took us all back to a past era, but our response to this performance was much the same as in the time of Mozart….one of shear delight!
After our morning at Schönbrunn, there were several options for the remainder of the day. We could make our way downtown to explore Vienna on our own. We could take the underground to the Naschmarket with one of our staff or join other staff who were visiting a well-known Musical Instrument Collection. Journeys were made to the Palm House, and a spectacular set of blooming orchids with such an array of scent, to the narrow passages in the Naschmarket and the accompanying smells of the many cafes and specialty items for sale and a cacophony of sounds… to those who explored both ancient and new instruments, led by two accomplished musicians; giving us all a chance to challenge our senses in this vibrant Austrian city.
The River Cloud had remained dockside on Danube about two miles from the center of Vienna, through out the evening and into the next morning. Our second day in Vienna began early, with a short bus ride to the palace of Schönbrunn the summer residence of royal imperial family, who used this palace for many generations and still today it is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here for most of the year, and Emperor Franz Joseph, husband to Empress Sisi, was born in the palace in 1830. Schönbrunn remained home to Emperor Joseph during his reign from 1848 to 1916 and after his death was turned over to the Republic of Austria and designated a Unesco World Heritage Site due to its cultural and historical value. Today more than 400,000 people travel to Vienna, Austria, just to make a visit to the Schönbrunn palace and its grounds.
Outside the main entrance guests from the River Cloud were divided into two groups and began our tour of this enormous property with an overview of the outside and main entrance. Once inside our guides moved us through part of what had once been the royal apartments filling in our views with some of the hidden secrets and stories about Emperor Franz Joseph and his very famous wife, Sisi. After our hour-long tour was complete we were invited to the royal bakery for a late morning pastry and coffee, which included an apfelstrudel demonstration. We were not only treated to a fine sample of this well-known Austrian pastry we were also taught how to make it!
A short walk from the Royal Bakery found our group in the Marionette Theater. The owners, or rather “dancers” of the marionettes gave a brief introduction on how one moves a marionette, something that takes a lifetime to learn, and then we were all treated to a performance of Mozart’s “Eine Kleine NachtMusick.” The music and the marionettes took us all back to a past era, but our response to this performance was much the same as in the time of Mozart….one of shear delight!
After our morning at Schönbrunn, there were several options for the remainder of the day. We could make our way downtown to explore Vienna on our own. We could take the underground to the Naschmarket with one of our staff or join other staff who were visiting a well-known Musical Instrument Collection. Journeys were made to the Palm House, and a spectacular set of blooming orchids with such an array of scent, to the narrow passages in the Naschmarket and the accompanying smells of the many cafes and specialty items for sale and a cacophony of sounds… to those who explored both ancient and new instruments, led by two accomplished musicians; giving us all a chance to challenge our senses in this vibrant Austrian city.
