I began touring Vienna the moment I arrived. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and the crowds were intense. After a few hours of walking, I decided to head back to the hotel and start fresh in the morning hoping the crowds would be more manageable. As I approached the front desk of the hotel the next morning, I was informed that it was a holiday in Austria. It was May 1 which was not only May Day but also Labor Day in Austria. For me this meant that the city would open a few hours later than usual. It was a beautiful sunny morning with no one in the streets. This was very different from the day before.

One of my travel books recommended a walking route beginning at the ***Vienna Opera House.*** This was the first place I walked to the day I arrived in Vienna. I was glad I did because on May Day, there was a demonstration in front of the Opera House making it difficult to get close.

From the Opera House, I could see the large church steeples of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. As I headed in the direction of the cathedral, my first stop was the Kapuziner Kirche (Capuchin Church). Once again, the artwork was stunning with several beautiful side altars.

The ***Pension Neuer Markt*** was my next stop and a great place to get lunch and snacks for a day of exploring.

I made it to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral on the first day in Vienna but as I mentioned earlier, the crowds were massive. I went back the next morning and purchased tickets to tour the cathedral and take the elevator to the top of the North Tower.

The groundbreaking of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral was in 1137. The cathedral was completed in 1578. The cathedral has two main spires, 22 bells, and is made of limestone.

The most unique feature of this cathedral is its tiled roof consisting of over 230,000 glazed tiles.

Although I had a list of churches to visit, I came upon so many more.

Saint Michael’s Church in Vienna was constructed around 1200.

This is a picture of one of its original doors.

***Saint Michael’s Church*** also contains the largest organ in Vienna.

As I was making my way to the Habsburg Palace, I found the Augustiner-Kirche.

This church was originally built in the 14th century and consecrated in 1349. Many Habsburg weddings took place in this church including the wedding of Archduchess Maria Louise to Emperor Napoleon of France in 1810. The chandeliers in this church were stunning as well as the woodwork and artwork.

Another interesting find was the Monument Against War and Fascism.

This monument commemorates the dark years when Austria came under Nazi rule from 1938 to 1945.

The intricate details in the white marble depict the different aspects of war.

As I looked between the statues, I saw a figure that startled me. At first, I thought it was a figure of Christ with the Crown of Thorns. When I looked closer at the statue, I noticed a scrubbing brush in the right hand.

This figure signifies Jews in chains and those forced by the Nazi regime to scrub anti-Nazi graffiti off city streets.
More than 65,000 Austrians died in Nazi concentration camps. This monument was built at the gate of one of those concentration camps.

History is so important. If we do not remember history, it will repeat itself. This is one part of history we must never forget and must never allow to happen again.

Another place on my list of things to see was the Spanish Riding School.

I learned in my research that the school was named for the Spanish horses that formed one of the bases of the Lipizzan breed, which is used exclusively at the school. I watched several videos on the horses prior to making this trip and was hoping to catch a show while in Vienna. Unfortunately, the school was closed on the day I wanted to attend. However, I got a glimpse of some of the horses in their stables while passing through one of the many walkways in Vienna.

Horse and carriage rides were everywhere in Vienna. Another great attraction was the antique cars used for city tours.

Before leaving my hotel for this walk through the city, I met a couple headed for the Viking River Cruise beginning in Vienna. They told me about Saint Peter’s Church and the organ concerts provided each Wednesday evening. When I travel solo, I do not like to roam the streets at night, but after talking with this couple, I knew I needed to add Saint Peter’s Church to my list of things to see.

The groundbreaking of ***Saint Peter’s Church*** began in 1701. The church was completed in 1733.

I am always amazed at the sculptures of gold and the ornate figures in our churches. People did everything they could to show their love for God and to teach others about God’s love for us. When you love someone, you want to make their home beautiful. The talent throughout this church and all the churches I visited is breathtaking. I could only imagine how beautiful an organ concert would sound in this church.

The National Library next to the Habsburg Palace was next on my list.

***Floor to ceiling - Books – EVERYWHERE!***

And the ceilings were beautifully painted with gold trim.

The Franciscan Church, known in Vienna as Franziskanerkirche, was another beautiful church dripping in gold trim and beautiful artwork. This church is also known as the Church of Saint Jerome. The groundbreaking of the Franziskanerkirche began in 1603. The church was completed and consecrated in 1611.

The high altar in the Franziskanerkirche, depicting the Virgin Mary, was designed by Andrea Pozzo in 1707. Andrea Pozzo was an Italian Jesuit Brother known for his technique in creating an illusion of three-dimensional space on flat surfaces. The “Fake Dome” in the Church of Saint Ignatius in Rome was completed by Andrea Pozzo between 1685 and 1694. When visiting Rome in 2021, I stopped in to the Church of Saint Ignatius specifically to see the “Fake Dome.” It was truly an amazing site!

There were several beautiful parks in Vienna. The Stadtpark opened in 1862 and was the first public park in Vienna.

I was pleasantly surprised to see tulips in bloom. The weather was beautiful, and people were enjoying themselves on benches and grassy areas. It was a great place to sit, read a book, and catch the sun. I did just that before heading to ***Dominikanerkirche***.

The Dominikanerkirche is a Dominican church that serves as both a parish church and a monastery church. As a parish church, it is known as Maria Rotunda which also means Our Lady of the Rosary. This church was originally built as a monastery in the 13th century. After a series of renovations and extensions, the building, in the 15th century, was the second largest church in Vienna after Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. Unfortunately, during the first Turkish war, this church was mostly demolished and rebuilt in the 17th century. In 1927, Pope Pius XI declared this Dominican church a basilica minor.

After a long day of walking and seeing so many beautiful things, it was good to get back to my hotel and recover. The adventure wasn’t over. There was still more to see as I planned a day trip to a very special place right outside of Vienna.

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