Wien/Vienna
SUMMARY:
ST.STEPHAN
THE HOFBURG
SCHONBRUNN
ENTERTAINMENT
NATIONALPARK
BIKEWAY
St. Stephen`s cathedral "If
you build a cathedral instead
of the little church of St.
Stephen, this place will make you fortunate.
Later this cathedral will be the centre of Vienna and the landmark of the
town", Duke Heinrich Jasomirgott (1141 – 1177) was told by a handsome
youth, dressed as a workman of the building trade who appeared to him in a
dream. Or so goes the legend! The first cathedral, a Romanesque one, which was
built in the 12 th century, lay outside the little town Vienna, which was same
size as the Ro-man fortification in 100 AD. In the 13 th century – the town
had increased and St. Stephen`s was inside now – a new cathedral - the Gothic
one you can see today - was built. From the Romanesque church only the west
gallery is left; entering the church through the Giant`s Door (main entrance)
you pass it and if you turn back in the middle of the church, you can see the
old arches. Last century a restorer said, that St. Stephan’s cathedral, like
all old buildings, is like a book you can leaf through. And it’s a very
detailed book! If you visit St. Stephen`s cathedral first go around the church
and look at the artificial facade, the doors, the windows, the towers, the roof
made of coloured china tiles and find out the position of the church. The
longitudinal axis goes from west (Giant`s Door) to east (altar), the point of
the sunrise on St. Stephen’s day, the 26 th of December. Now go anticlockwise!
The main tower, called the Steffl, is to the south. You can only climb it on
foot but there is a lovely view over Vienna and the low mountains in the west.
Opposite the Steffl in the north there is the lower Eagle Tower with a green
roof and the famous big bell, the Pummerin. A lift which you can enter inside
the church takes
you up; from here you can get a good look at the colou-red roof.
Going round the church you can see human and animal fi-gures with open mouths on
the top of the oriels and columns, a cha-racteristic of gothic churches. These
figures you can also see in the second zone of the main portal, the Giant`s Door;
perhaps they should defend the church from evil spirits and make people feel
that they enter a protected area. When you have finished your tour round the
church, stop in front of the Romanesque main portal, which belongs to the oldest
part of the cathedral. First look at the facade! You will see a clock on the
left and a moon clock on the right and under the clocks - on the buttresses -
the female (left) and the male (right) genitals, perhaps as symbol for life. If
you look up you see the two Heathen towers to the west, they are like twins. Now
go nearer and have a look at the portal! There 1
2 3 1 20 2
vegetation , over the columns, in horizontal direction, at first animals and
chimeras – symbols for evil. Over this is the earthly sphere with the apostles
and on the top of the portal Jesus Christ with the bare knee (pose of the judge
in former times), his right hand making the oath gesture and his left hand
holding the bible. When you enter the cathedral, sit down and look at the
wonderful space, which is a big cross. There are the nave and two aisles with
the gothic net vault sup-ported by columns. You can’t see it, but between the
vault and the roof there is a big room, where you can go with a guide. If you
look to the altar you will see the big painting of St.Stephen’s martyr-dom.
The pulpit near the Giant’s Door-way is made of sandstone, with the four
"church fathers", Augustinus, Gregorius, Ambrosius, Hieronymus, and
the famous "Fenstergucker" (a man looking out of the window) on the
base is a masterpiece of Gothic art. Another
"Fenstergucker" you find in the
left aisle carrying the Gothic organ gallery, which was the place 1 of the first organ in this cathedral. Don’t
overlook the saints at the columns under the canopies and notice that they wear
different clothes and hats, and that they hold things, symbols for their lives
and deaths. There are so many things to look at in this cathedral, it is not
possible to mention all of them, but don’t forget to look at the Wiener
Neustädter altar in the left aisle; it is a very beautiful Gothic altar made of
wood, which deals with the life of Holy 
Mary. In the 17 th century, in the epoch
of the Counter Reformation, the cathedral received many works of art in Baroque
style, but the main character still is Gothic. In 750 years many people have
prayed here and marvelled at the wonderful pictures and sculptures. At the end
of World War II fire destroyed the timber and the vault broke down. All the
provinces of Austria helped to rebuild and to restore the cathedral. Today
Viennese pupils collect for St. Stephen’s every year, be-cause the air
pollution attacks the sandstone and the repair work must continue. When you
leave the cathedral perhaps you will have the feeling that you have been in
another world. Opposite St. Stephen’s cathedral the modern Haas-Haus can be found which is a total contrast to the
Gothic cathedral. It was designed by the architect Hans Hollein and was built in
1986 with lots of glass and marble. Many expensive shops are located in this
building and on the top floor there is a cafeteria with a wonderful view. The
building is named after the Philipp Haas department store that was there before;
it was damaged in 1945 and pulled down. Not far away from St. Stephen’s
Cathedral, to the north – over Roten turmstraße with shops which are quite
af-fordable – there is the so-called "Bermu-da Triangle" (Metro stop
U4, Schwe-denplatz) with lots of restaurants and clubs which are mostly well
attended. If you go up the Seitenstettengasse you can see the oldest church in
Vienna, the Ruprechtskirche in the Romanesque style. You are now in the Jewish
quarter and from Seitenstettengasse you will arrive at the synagogue. To the
south of St. Stephen’s you enter the Kärntner Straße. In this pedestrian
precinct there are many exclusive and expensive shops, here you will find
every-thing from Benetton to Versace. You can listen to street musicians and if
you are tired from shopping and sightseeing you can relax in a café. If you
leave St. Stephen’s Square and go the west you will get to the so-called
Graben. Again there are many shops, cafes and street musicians. At the end of
the Graben go left along the Kohlmarkt to the Michaeler Square and the Hofburg.
Pass the Michaeler door and stop at the Schweizer door on the left
A long time ago, in middle ages, this
palace was originally a castle with a moat, remains of which you can see beside
the Schweizer Tor (door of Swiss guards). Also a little church, the Burgkapelle
(in the Swiss courtyard to the east of the door) reminds us of these times. It
was built during the government of the first Habsburger Rudolf I in about 1280;
under Friedrich III, between 1447 and 1449, the Gothic chapel was built in the
form seen today. On Sundays and religious holidays you can attend mass here and
at the same time listen to concerts, very often presented by the Wiener
Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys` Choir). Later on, when the Habsburgs became more
powerful, the castle was changed into a large residence. In the 16 th century
the Stallburg (castle with stables) in the north-west of the Swiss courtyard was
built in the Renaissance style; you can go there across Josefsplatz (in the
south of the square there is the National Library) and see the wonderful
courtyard through the big windows in Reitschulgasse. The Lippizzaner horses live
here and their performances are held here too. You will also find an art gallery
in this building, with works by Böcklin, Renoir, Degas, Monet… Back to the Schweizer
Tor!
Standing here you overlook the main
court of the Hofburg (the so-called interior court), surrounded by the
Leopoldian wing (1660 – 1666), where the residence of the Austrian president
is today, the Amalienburg with the sun clock and the moon clock (16 th century, Sissi’s
rooms are here) and the northern Reichskanzlei (office of the monarchy) wing,
built in the Baroque style. This was built by the famous architect Fischer von
Erlach, who had also planned (but not yet built) the Michaeler wing as part of
Reichskanzlei wing which you can see from Michaelerplatz. If you want to visit
the Imperial Apartments, you have to go to the entrance in the Michaeler passage
on the right. On the ground floor there is the Silberkammer (silver treasury);
the cutlery, crockery and glasses, are exhibited here. The porcelain from 
the
orient, Sevres and Vienna, and the Vermail dinner service for 140 people show
the splendour of life in the imperial court. The private rooms of Franz Joseph
and his wife Elisabeth are presented in Rococo style (Louis XV) with precious
furniture, lots of tapestries and chandeliers which are made of crystal. If you
go from Schweizer Tor to the left you arrive the passage to the Heldenplatz (heroes’
square). Now walk to the monument of Erzherzog Carl (archduke Charles, hero in
the wars against Napoleon) to the right. From here you have a wonderful view to
the beautiful facade of Leopold’s wing and many Viennese buildings: on the
east side of the Heldenplatz you see the newest part of the Hofburg (about
hundred years old), in the south the Burgtor (castle door, it is like a
triumphal arch), in the south west the classical Parliament and the Neo-Gothic
town hall, in the west the classical Burgtheater,
in the north-west the Austrian Chancery and Foreign Ministry, in front of it is
Ballhausplatz. Opposite Erzherzog Carl you see another horseman, Prince Eugen,
the hero, who triumphed against the Turks in 1683. On Heldenplatz there are
fairs and concerts, on Ballhausplatz (between the Chancery and the office of the
Austrian president in the Hofburg) there are sometimes demonstrations. Today the
Hofburg is not only the residence of the Austrian president, it’s also an
important congress centre; many concerts of the Vienna Boys‘ Choir are
presented here and the Lippizzaner (see above) have their performances in the
Hofburg. 1
Palace and Park Schönbrun
If you want to get to know Schön-brunn, first walk through the park! It is a French garden laid out with regular paths, which take us to certain destinations. The bushes, which grow be-side the paths, are cut like walls. The stone figures decorating the park were made by Fischer von Erlach (1656 – 1723, he is also the architect of the palace) and Wilhelm Beyer (1725 – 1806). The name Schönbrunn (beautiful spring), which refers to a spring in the park, is mentioned first in a document in 1642. The French garden was set up by Andre le Notre (1613 – 1700), who also designed the Tuileries, the park beside the Louvre in Paris, and the park of Versailles. The present park has many systems of avenues and many mystery ways, small or big places, which were made in 1760. From the Gloriette up the hill you have a nice view over Vienna. Most people who come to Vienna also visit Zoo Schönbrunn which is a part of the park. The enclosures of the ani- mals are really big now. You can almost realise how wildlife is, because you see animals as they would be in the wild. The imperial palace, a very important building in Baroque style, was built by Fischer von Erlach in the 17 th century; for him the palace of Versailles served as a model. In the 18 th century Maria Theresia, who took the palace as her residence, asked Nikolaus Pacassi to change the palace inside and outside to have better conditions for the private sphere and the ceremonial life at court. You can visit the imperial rooms with the original furniture and you can understand how Franz Josef I (1830 – 1916) lived and worked in this palace he liked more than the Hofburg. Also the rooms which belonged to Sissi, the unhappy empress, you can have a look at. Today the owner of the park, the zoo and the palace is the republic of Austria.
Hundertwasserhaus 1030 Wien/Vienna, Kegelgasse 36-38
In this building a completely new style of architecture is manifest. It provides bright colours, uneven floors and walls, trees growing out of the house. It is a colourful spot in the grey city-skyline. Hundertwasser created this building with ecological aspects: he didn’t use synthetic materials, he used wood and brick instead. The owner of the house is the municipal corporation of Vienna. It’s called a "Gemeindebau", which means that these flats are built for people who are not rich. 1 Since 1985 5000 visitors have come to see the famous Hundertwasserhaus every day. Near the house, Fritz Stowasser alias Friedensreich Hundertwasser (German hundert = Czech "sto"=100), created another building of the same style: the "KunstHaus" (art house), 1030 Wien, Untere Weißgerberstraße 13. There Hundertwasser presents his works of art on the first floor, while on the second floor different exhibitions take place. Near these houses there are shopping malls and restaurants with toilets, all built in the same style. On the ground-floor of the Hundertwasserhaus you’ll find a gift-shop. Don’t miss this wonderful sight of Vienna!
Vienna,
the famous city of music, welcomes you! I think Vienna by night has an exciting
atmosphere!!! It’s Saturday evening, most of the youngsters go to "Schwedenplatz"
or the "Bermu-dadreieck" (see page 21)! There are many little pubs,
where you
can meet other people! But if you want to hear good live music, you
have to go to "Jazzland", which plays not only real jazz, but also
some funk and blues and sometimes they offer performances by special guests.
Also "Porgy and Bess" is a venue with a wide variety of music. In the
centre of Vienna there are a lot of bars, which have live bands! Otherwise you
can go to concerts, or to the beautiful centre of Vienna! The favourite places
to shop for young people are the Mariahilferstraße and Shopping City Süd. If
you want to eat, there are a lot of little pubs, which have typical Viennese
food. If you are a pupil or a student you can sleep in the youth hostel
Vienna-Hütteldorf, which is furnished in a modern style. And there are also
bigger rooms available for families.
Here are two addresses :
1) Youth hostel
Hütteldorf
1130 Wien/Vienna, Schloßberggasse 8
Tel.: 0043/1/8771501
e-mail: JHG@wigast.comwww.hostel.at
2) Schloßherberge on the Wilhelminenberg:
1160 Wien/Vienna,
Savoyenstraße 2
Tel.: 0043/1/4858503 - 700
e-mail: SHB@wigast.com
And if you
are interested in the Internet you can visit http://www.coolplaces.wien.at
Here
there are lots of useful tips and insider-information!
National Park "Donauauen"
"Au"
= wet lands
History: The river
Danube was regulated between the years 1870 and 1875, not only for flood
protection, but also for
navigation. There aren’t so many tributaries anymore,
there-fore the damp areas surrounding the river have become dry. Now there is
one big river, the Danube, and a little one, the old Danube. Beside this river
there is a bir forest, the "Au", a National Park since 1996 - after 24
years of negotiations. The organisation of the National
Park: The National Park has been developed
from the idea of protecting the forest from power stations. The aims of this
organisation are: to protect the natural landscape, to connect the old
tributaries with the Danube. This "Au" area is around the river Danube
and it is also near to the city Vienna. These wet lands are 90 km 2 large. This
area is important for: humidity, ground
water level, air pollution control, photosynthesis. It is also important
as a nesting area and as a place for experience and recreation for people.
Flora,
vegetation and fauna:
There are many different trees, bushes, climbers and
parasites. Animals: game, fish, insects, birds and other mammals. There are 5000
different types of animals in the "Au". Some typical "Au"
animals are:
"Eisvogel"= kingfisher
"Bienenfresser" =
bee-eater
"Auhirsch" = wet lands stag,
"Flussseeschwalbe"=
river swallow,
"Biber"= beaver.
„Schnecke"=
snail
"Posthornschnecke" = snail,
whose shell looks like the Austrian Post Office horn logo.
Problems of the
"Donauauen" and the National Park:
One of the biggest problems for
an "Au" are the power stations because they impede the natural water
level. However there is another problem which is caused by people; it is the
pollution of 1the water and the air. If the pollution
increases, some animals will die out. Too much tourism could also damage the
ecological system in the "Au".
Institution for
tourism and visitors in the National
Park:
In the park there are some paths where people are allowed to walk, to go
horse-riding or to cycle. There are also some info centres about the "Au",
the forest, the animals and the vegetation.
Ideas for the future:
little cinemas at the entrance of the "Au",
displays with pictures
or photos of animals and plants in the "Au",
more interesting
guided tours through the National Park,
holiday camps in the "Au"
and the surrounding area.
The "National Park Camp", which offers
nature games and fun and guided tours for pupils, youth groups and fa- milies,
will be opened in May 2000. It can be found at Lobau, A 2301 Groß-Enzersdorf,
Lobaustraße Wien 1, (For information call 523 6222/729.)
Our impressions of
an excursion in the "Au":
Our class was in Petronell for three
days. Petronell is a little village (with Roman excavations) near the Au,
about 50 km east of Vienna. We stayed in an ecological house with a solar-panel
system to heat the water. There is also natural sewage. Together with guides
from the National Park we toured the forest. In the house we had a so-called
"microtheatre", which is watching very small water animals through a
microscope and projecting the pictures on-to a screen. We also drew animals and
plants of the "Au", one example you have already seen (page 25).
During our tours we got to know that in the "Au" generally you have to
go on foot; special signs show you where biking and riding is allowed. There
were many insects which bit us many times; it’s not the same every year, but
in June and July some-times there are many insects. It was an interesting
experience and we recommend it for young and
old. 1 2 1
The
Bikeway along the Danube in Austria (350 km)
Along
this bikeway,
which goes from Passau in the west to Hainburg in the east, you can admire
different landscapes and works of art. There isn’t any other bikeway where you
can see as many churches, monasteries and wine growing estates as on this one.
During the tour you pass many nice cities, towns and villages like Passau, Linz
(capital of Upper Austria and 
old
houses and churches) and other nice places. The Wachau (the countryside between
Melk and Krems) is famous for its wonderful landscape, its cultural places and
the so-called "Heurigen", restaurants typical of the wine regions in
Lower Austria. Don’t forget to visit the Baroque monastery at Melk, which is
built on a huge rock, and to stop in Dürnstein and Krems! Though Vienna (about
80 km away from Krems) is a very big town, you will find a network of many bike
lanes there. The most famous one is on the Danube Island (about 20 km long),
where many people spend their free time, not only by doing biking tours but also
hiking, swimming, sunbathing and having picnics. In the centre of Vienna there
are also many bikeways because the city authority wants people to go by bike
instead of by car. If you continue riding to the east you pass the Donau Auen (read
above) and after 55 km you will arrive at Hainburg which is situated 5 km from
the Hungarian border.
