Lainzer Tiergarten

The Lainzer Tiergarten is a game preserve located in the 13th district of Vienna ( Lainzer Tor, Hermesstraße 1130 Wien). It is free to the public and features great hiking and some unique opportunities to see wildlife. The reserve used to be maintained as hunting grounds for the Habsburgs, but today safely houses animals such as boars, deer, and geese. 

The preserve also has some wonderful lookouts onto the city. 

Toward the east side of the reserve, a former Habsburg palace still stands: Hermesvilla, nicknamed "the castle of dreams". 

The palace costs 6 euros to see and is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday. 

Although Vienna has many beautifully manicured parks, I think the game reserve would be worth visiting for its more natural atmosphere. I enjoy hiking and seeing wildlife, as well as photographing animals when possible, so I think this would be a very nice place to visit. Additionally, it's free, and that's always appealing. 

Information: 
http://www.wien.info/en/vienna-for/families/outdoor/lainz-game-preserve

Images: 
http://www.vienna.cc/wienpix/lainzer4.jpg

http://media05.regionaut.meinbezirk.at/2011/11/13/859015_web.jpg?1321174295

http://austria-forum.org/attach/AEIOU/Hermesvilla/Hermesvilla.jpg

Brezl Gwölb

I love eating and am very excited to try food that is authentically Austrian. One restaurant that seems to be fairly well known is Brezl Gwölb, located at Ledererhof 9 1010 Wien. This restaurant has a unique atmosphere, as it's located in a cellar, with curved ceilings, and interesting paintings and tapestries on the walls. Almost every review I've read praises the authenticity as well as the quality of the food. The restaurant seems to be open only for dinner, and all of the meals are under 20 euros. 

Menu items that catch my eye include:

Milchrahmstrudel mit Vanillesauce

Zwiebelrostbraten mit Braterdäpfel

And Tafelspitz mit Rösti, Apfelkren und Schnittlauchsauce (I couldn't find a very good picture for this one.  Information:  http://www.brezl.at/ Images: http://www.brezl.at/s/cc_images/cache_26505789.jpg http://www.kroeswang.at/uploads/tx_artikelliste/3352.jpg http://www.schwabendeal.de/share/images/thumbs/thumb_734369_605_1321526864.jpg

Raphael, Rembrandt, and Rubens. Oh my.

If I had an inhaler, I would be using it right now. Seems melodramatic, I know, but I love renaissance and baroque paintings, and the three artists listed in the title were all-stars of their times. Paintings by these artists and many more can be found at the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna.

First though, please do allow me to talk (geek out) about the artists.

Rubens takes some time to warm up to because of his unconventional figures. All of his people, whether women or men, are built. They all look incredibly sturdy. Seriously, I would not wanna take any of his ladies in a fight.

But their solidity is almost palpable and the subject matter is often in stark contrast with his lighter color palette.

Rembrandt's work can only be described as haunting.

His portraits have a distinct play of light and shadow that even today artists reference. For example, in my VCU classes I have heard something like this from a professor multiple times: "If we move the light source over here, you get that nice Rembrandt lighting."

Rembrandt focused on portraits, which are always more interesting to me than other types of paintings.

Lastly, Raphael. One of the great Italian renaissance painters. Raphael's work is appealing to me mostly because of his renown. His style does not particularly awe me, but there is something surreal about standing before the work of an artist that you've read about and whose work you've only seen through a screen.

Alright, I'll stop.

As far as the Palace itself goes, it is located at Fürstengasse 1 1090 Vienna. Unfortunately, tours are sparse and there is only one public tour while we are in Vienna: July 11 at 3:00 pm. The tour also costs 20 Euros. In 2012, the museum closed to regular tours and the organization running it decided to focus on primarily high end private events, which I think is very unfortunate. I would love to splurge and see this palace and, more importantly, the paintings, but this particular museum is a little lower than some of the cheaper ones on my list. 

Information: 
http://www.palaisliechtenstein.com/en/home.html

Images: 
http://ppcdn.500px.org/39322944/793f0dee9f0c80170cb1ef08cd243a1a8ad71797/2048.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_Diana_Returning_from_Hunt_-_WGA20290.jpg

http://artinbulk.com/image/famous%20artist/Rubens/rubens_020.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bRMI6VHY88ERsq851saX6eMFtLRC5RxplbEtXjwMJ9zWZBdH55u8pOFxQLhxIkQfWwql-M_kKj8768kXSnWcXdED4Pru_yUHHP8AvlHXJrLHinfPwAUg-URcB09CMKcm7CpDdE6pOUs/s1600/Rembrandt_Harmenszoon_van_Rijn-Self_Portrait-1660-222256-edited_DC_lvl11.jpg

http://gabriellevonbernstorff.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/240px-raffaello_madonna_cowper.jpg

Wiener Zentralfriedhof

Museums, books, restaurants, concerts, etc are all wonderful ways to learn about the past and present life of a city. But, paradoxically, one place that also gives an interesting look into the life of a place is its cemeteries. Gravestones, mausoleums, and catacombs speak volumes about the cultural and economic environment in which individuals lived.

The Wiener Zentralfriedhof is Vienna's most important cemetery (at least, according to its website). This extensive cemetery located at Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234 1110 Vienna is free and open to the public. Its office is open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, though I believe it is open for visitors on the weekends. It has 330,000 graves marked by everything from small or broken stones to lavish mausoleums.

I really enjoyed going to Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, so I think the Wiener Zentralfriedhof would give me further insight into the ceremony surrounding death in Viennese culture and the impressive artistry that often accompanied the rituals.

There is also a large Art Nouveau cathedral in the center, which I think would be interesting to see in contrast with the many gothic and baroque cathedrals around the city.

Sources:

Information:
http://www.friedhoefewien.at/eportal/

Images:
http://www.friedhoefewien.at/media/img/2008/image_6576_3526.jpg

http://www.gotorio.de/storage/P1000529.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1255550160409

http://www.ikg-wien.at/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/fh_zentralfriedhof_Wien_1.jpg

Apple Strudel Show

Vienna has many wonderful bakeries and many wonderful pastries, but the Cafe Residenz at Schönbrunn Palace gives visitors a look behind the scenes. At the top of the hour between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm, visitors can pay 9.60 euros to watch a chef craft the famous Viennese apple strudel. The show lasts between 15 and 20 minutes and at the end visitors get a warm piece of strudel and a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Lastly, all visitors receive a copy of the original apple strudel recipe. If you're the lucky 21st visitor, the admission to the show is free!

For more dedicated strudel aficionados, there's a two hour strudel seminar that costs 21 Euros plus a pastry chef fee, in which participants get a more in-depth education of strudel baking. Each person creates their own strudel, receives a diploma, and can call themselves a genuine Viennese Apple Strudel Baker. 

I love cooking, baking, and learning about unique recipes from other cultures. The strudel show would probably appeal to me more than the strudel seminar. I think it would be very intriguing to see how the strudel is made and getting to taste it would be great as well. I think this could be a great thing to do while at Schönbrunn (I know I'll be visiting the palace at least once, if not more). 

Source: 

http://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/tours-guides/apple-strudel-show

Images: 

http://www.cafe-residenz.at/uploads/pics/Strudelshow-3.jpg

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/3_button_maus/11250646/15899/15899_original.jpg

Leopold Museum

As an art student, I have learned to appreciate a wide variety of art, from sculpture to cinema to paintings. However, having studied drawing and illustration in depth, I deeply appreciate exhibits featuring paintings and drawings with interesting line-work and well stylized figures. 

Lucky for me, the Leopold Museum has an exhibit going through October called "Line and Shape" that showcases 100 Master Drawings from the museum's collection. The museum itself looks very modern, a large cube with a bright white limestone exterior. 

Additionally, the museum has a huge number of works by Egon Schiele, an early expressionist painter who mainly rendered people with exceptionally interesting brushstrokes and figural distortions. 

The museum also has a number of works by Gustav Klimt, an Art Nouveau painter who taught Egon Schiele and painted wonderfully textured oil paintings. 

Besides the above mentioned exhibits, the museum also has other expressionist and Viennese Secessionist works and a good deal of furniture, glass, and silver pieces. 

The Leopold Museum is located in the MuseumsQuartier, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna, Austria. It is open from 10:00am to 6:00 pm every day except Thursday, when it is open until 9:00 pm. Student tickets are only 8 euros. The Museum has a shop as well as a cafe with a nice terrace and a lunch menu that changes daily. 

Source: 

http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/en

Images: 

http://travelioo.com/img/Leopold-Museum-Photo.jpg

http://www.leninimports.com/egon_schiele_edith_schiele_magna_postcard_1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Gustav_Klimt_046.jpg

http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/media/image/800/356.jpg

Schmetterlinghaus

In the gardens of the Hofburg Palace is a place with enchanting architecture and even more intriguing residents. Housed in a 100 year old art nouveau greenhouse live hundreds of butterflies and exotic plants. 

The Schmetterlinghaus, or The Imperial Butterfly House, used to be just a greenhouse, but after renovations in the late 1980's was transformed into a butterfly house. Butterflies live among tropical flowers and visitors can observe them while traversing winding staircases and bridges, passing close to waterfalls and even closer to the 400 butterflies that occasionally land on visitors. 

All of the butterflies in the Imperial Butterfly House are obtained from recognized butterfly farms or are bred in the butterfly house. There are no endangered species present and no butterflies from this location are sold to collectors. 

The Imperial Butterfly House is located in the Burggarten Hofburg, Hanuschgasse, 1010 Wien, Austria. It is open from 10:00 am to 4:45 pm Monday through Friday and from 10:00 am to 4:45 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Adult tickets are 6 euros and guided tours are available for groups for an extra 40 euro charge. 

I have visited the butterfly house at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond before and really enjoyed the up close encounter with the butterflies. Seeing a butterfly garden on a larger scale would be very interesting. Additionally, the Schmetterlinghaus has been hailed as one of the most beautiful art nouveau greenhouses in the world and I think it would be a great opportunity to see some distinctive art nouveau architecture in contrast to the many Gothic cathedrals and Baroque palaces in Vienna. 

Source: 

http://www.schmetterlinghaus.at/en/

Images: 

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/17006657.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1cj7OUUQBKROZdCa6oMCjagCW_2LypcQlwCoGcjOGdsc79mOP_KMs2xL9Iauk-C7e_cAqB7wdQ29EjHO3gsDJHWwWHhoGNvSQu6NBBVAaT8e840j6ti_NEVezOX6LPziVvV21C2mN2Y/s1600/IMG_1891_2.JPG

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/15/ee/c2/quite-a-photographic.jpg

http://www.holidaycheck.at/data/urlaubsbilder/images/146/1155780563.jpg

Street Art Passage

One part of a thriving art community is having art that is highly visible and accessible to everyone. Street art is a wonderful addition to any art community. Street art not only offers diverse styles and relevant political messages, but also wonderfully utilizes otherwise blank walls. Richmond, Virginia has recently resolved to cultivate a more vibrant street art presence and I've been delighted to see various murals sprouting up around the city on often unexpected locations. Street art, whether legal or not, offers interesting insights to a city and its people. From graffiti and murals one can get a feel for an area's personality, challenges, and priorities. 

There are a number of themed passages in the MuseumQuartier in Vienna, all of which I would like to explore. 

But there is one between the Spittelberg and the MuseumsQuartier dedicated solely to street art that I find particularly interesting. This passage features permanent art by a French graffiti artist by the name of "Invader" as well as changing pieces done by local street artists. Each new exhibit is accompanied by a new edition of Street Art Magazine. 

Other passages around the MuseumsQuartier include a comic passage, and a typography passage. Admission is free and hours are really any time of day you're walking in the area (though I would assume daylight would probably be safer and afford better visibility). 

Source: 

http://www.betonblumen.org/

Images: 

http://www.betonblumen.org/images/lageplan-new.jpg

https://www.mqw.at/uploads/media/STREET_ART_PASSAGE_VIENNA__c__quartier21.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7556899028_81e1e52894_z.jpg

Schokomuseum

Vienna has a museum devoted to chocolate. I'll say that again: Vienna has a museum completely devoted to chocolate. Need I say more?

Actually, for my grade's sake I do. 

I am a chocolate addict and basically refuse to eat candy that isn't chocolate. The Schokomuseum sounds pretty heavenly when you get into the details. The tour starts with a piece of chocolate. Afterwards, visitors learn about the history of chocolate (did you know chocolate has been used as currency in some parts of the world?) as well as various chocolate making techniques, then get to try chocolate from three different chocolate fountains.

After that, guests get to observe the actual manufacturing of chocolate and sample various specialty chocolates. 

Guided tours are available in German Monday through Thursday at 2:00 pm and Saturday at 10:00 and 11:00 am. Tours in English are only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 pm. Tours cost 7 euros and the museum is located at Willendorfergasse 2-8 1230 Vienna. 

There are also workshops that involve painting with chocolate, but those are a little pricey at 29 euros and I would rather eat chocolate than paint with it. 

The museum's website has a cute little chocolate quiz that will tell you what kind of chocolate eater you are (apparently I'm a "wafer specialist"). Some of the phrases sound pretty funny translated into English. If you want to take the quiz, you can go here: http://www.schokomuseum.at/en/chocolate-quiz

Source:

http://www.schokomuseum.at/

Images:
http://img.vatera.hu/carpic/upload/lealkudtuk_2013/9/alfatours_csokimuzeum_6.jpg
http://www.geri.at/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/schokobrunnen.jpg
http://188.138.75.92/image.ashx?c=0&cw=0&ch=0&w=800&h=600&f=/images/de//poi/osterreich/wien/gallery/schokomuseum-wien.jpg
http://typischich.at/images/uploads_610/d/2/a/716074/schokoworkshops_heindl_schokomuseum_hauptbild20111212134920.jpg

Eissalon Tuchlauben

I love cookies, cakes, pastries, chocolate, and almost any other dessert (I'm just a huge fan of food in general). One thing I remember seeing the last time I was in Vienna, which was only for a couple days seven years ago, was quite a few cafes with some pretty impressive ice cream selections. I'm not talking about a scoop of vanilla on a cake cone that kind of tastes like cardboard. These ice creams were served to customers on outdoor patios in glass dishes, adorned with fruit and little wafer cookies. Naturally, I have to hunt down an ice cream parlor, or Eissalon as the Viennese would say, and try one of these creations for myself. 

One of the Eissalons with the best reviews was  Eissalon Tuchlauben. Judging by the pictures alone, what they serve looks closer to gelato than ice cream. This means it's thicker and richer than regular ice cream. 

Eissalon Tuchlauben's slogan is actually "Das beste Eis der Welt". It's a pretty bold claim and I'm more than willing to put it to the test. According to the website, Eissalon Tuchlauben cares deeply about quality and puts heavy emphasis on handcrafting their product with quality ingredients. There are 21 one regular flavors as well as seasonal flavors and changing house-specialty flavors. Some interesting flavors include macaron, tiramisu, and blood orange. The salon also has over 40 "Eiskreationen", ice creams with various toppings, and offers coffee and juices. All the menu items seem to be under 8 euros and the Eissalon is open from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm Monday through Saturday and from 11:00 am to 11:30 pm on Sunday during the summer. The hours are slightly reduced in other seasons. Eissalon Tuchlauben is located at 1010 Wien, Tuchlauben 15. 

Source: 

http://eissalon-tuchlauben.at/

Images:
http://imgdyn.restauranttester.at/images/cache/efc7ed2755a10c7285b90006e1456622.jpg
http://tannel81.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cimg57662.jpg
http://eissalon-tuchlauben.at/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/start_vitrine.jpg