Today was all about the Habsburgs, from life to death. The Habsburgs ruled Austria from the late 1200s until 1918, the end of WWI. Our guide for the day was Gerhard, and he began by leading us through the Habsburg "Treasury," which, of course, houses treasures. We saw crowns and elaborate robes and jewels. Perhaps the neatest item was the cradle used by Napoleon’s only legitimate son (Napoleon II) by his second wife Marie Louise of Austria (whose father happened to be the Habsburg Emperor; must have been true love). After his father’s defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon II returned to Austria with his mother, where he was known as Franz. He died at Schonbrunn Palace from tuberculosis at the age of 21.
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After leaving the Treasury, we toured the Hofburg, the Habsburg’s Vienna city palace. We saw rooms that were used by Franz Joseph, who ruled Austria from 1848 until his death in 1916, and his wife (and first cousin), Empress Elizabeth, better known as "Sisi." Sisi was a child bride, married at the age of 16. She was an excellent horsewoman. She was also thin and beautiful and obsessed with her appearance. Our local guide did not have anything nice to say about her. But I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for a girl who was used to spending her days riding horses through the woods suddenly being faced with the vultures at court and a domineering mother-in-law, not to mention an unfaithful husband. Hard to imagine why she became obsessed with her appearance. Anyhoo . . . the couple had four children, including a daughter who died as an infant in 1857. Their son, the Crown Prince Rudolf, committed murder-suicide with his teenage lover in 1889. The empress was assassinated in 1898. Plenty of royal tragedy.
Tour Day 11: Wednesday, June 29
Dead Habsburgs
We were not able to have our scheduled tour of the Opera House, so we went to the Kaisergruft, or imperial crypt, instead. Greg and I were planning to go there anyway, so it worked out well for us. Since 1633, 145 Habsburgs have been laid to rest here, many in elaborate tombs. At least their bones are buried here--many internal organs have been removed and reside elsewhere. The double tomb of Maria Theresa and her husband is by far the most over the top, situated in its own vault. The tombs of Empress Elisabeth, Franz Joseph and their son Rudolf, on the other hand, are quite unpretentious. We think the Kaisergruft is worth a visit. You don't have to spend a lot of time here, but it is interesting history and the metal work on some of the tombs is truly amazing. And we did not find it creepy at all.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Royal
We were free for the afternoon and wanted to spend more time exploring the Hofburg Palace complex, so we grabbed an outdoor table at the Café Hofburg, located in a beautiful courtyard near the statue of Francis II. After a sandwich, we checked out the imperial stables. The famous Lipizzaner stallions were on their summer holiday and not performing while we were in Vienna. But I was able to snap a few pictures of white horses sticking their heads out of stables and buy a glass Christmas ornament in the gift shop. We also visited the Augustinerkirche, founded in 1327. This is the church where Maria Theresa married Francis in 1736 and Franz Joseph married Sisi in 1854. I found it beautiful in its simplicity. We strolled through the Burggarten and along the terrace of the Palmenhaus. Once the private garden of the Habsburgs, the Burggarten was opened to the public in 1919. The greenhouse was built in 1901 and today houses a café and butterfly house. Tourists can relax and enjoy a coffee in the same space where the Emperor once relaxed and enjoyed his coffee.
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Our last stop before getting ready for our final group dinner was a little pottery shop, Berger Keramik, near St. Stephen’s Cathedral on Weihburggasse. We had walked past it the night before and I had spotted a small blue dog in the window that I had to have. The owner of the shop was an older lady who did not speak a lot of English, but we managed to have a great conversation anyway. I pointed to the blue dog and did actually know the German words “blau” and “hund.” Everything in the shop was one-of-a-kind, handmade, so she retrieved the hound from the window display and began wrapping it up for me. It was a pricey hound, but worth it for such a unique reminder of Vienna. The shop owner asked us where we were from. We said “America,” and she replied, “Me too—South America!” Then she started laughing and said that she was originally from Colombia and that her brother now lived in Florida. She said that she liked America. Then she paused, banged her fists on the counter and said, “But no Trump!” It was so spontaneous and unexpected that we burst out laughing. We assured her that we shared her opinion and happily left the shop with our blue dog and an awesome memory.
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Exploring the Hofburg Palace Complex and a Final Souvenir
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Farewell and Auf Wiedersehen
Our final group dinner was held at Schuebel-Auer, a traditional Viennese Heuriger. White and red wine flowed freely, and we helped ourselves to roasted meats and a wide assortment of side dishes. After dinner Jana held a contest for the most useless thing brought on trip. Entries ranged from swim goggles, to a heavy sweater, to one piece of a two-piece bathing suit. But the unanimous winner was the crumpled map from the Cesky Krumlov rafting adventure. Jana gave each of us a coaster featuring artwork by Alphonse Mucha—a perfect keepsake. The group presented her with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. It was a great time, but also bittersweet because it signaled the end of our fabulous trip and the parting of new friends.
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Fitbit: 16,321 steps, 6.57 miles, 11 flights