Not Prague, Part 11: Austria-Hungary

I spent last week in Vienna and Budapest, which means by the end of the holiday I had Culturally Significant and Gorgeous Old Building fatigue. I watched an opera, ice skated in front of the most stunning city hall I've ever seen, stayed up late on a Monday morning to watch a sporting event I've forgotten all about by now, and walked -- a lot. Most enjoyable was a stroll through a snowfall in Vienna around the Karl Renner Ring with its row of historic buildings, which includes the State Opera House, a building that, according to the Special Assistant to the Blogger, was initially ridiculed for resembling a train station. And now it's one of Vienna's top landmarks, even if it was only the second most beautiful opera house I saw last week.

Rathaus, or City Hall, in Vienna. For other views, plus shots of the massive ice skating
rink and route in front of it, check out my photo album (link below).

Last weekend marked my second visit to Vienna. I don't know if I'd call the city lively, but it certainly is full of history, being the seat of the former Habsburg Empire and the center of classical music. I can imagine the palaces and amusement park would also be a better venue in the spring. Regardless, I have photos of the rink, a Mozart statue through the snow, the interesting church at Karlsplatz, and other stuff here.

Then I hit Budapest. The city is divided into two sections: Buda and Pest. The banks of the Danube River, which divides the city, are designated as a World Heritage site, no doubt for many reasons, although providing this view of the Hungarian Parliament building is reason enough for me ...

... and this view from the Chain Bridge isn't shabby either ...

UNESCO mentions two other cultural landmarks in its World Heritage listing for Budapest: Andrassy Avenue, the tree-lined, fashionable street that has the world's second-oldest subway line running underneath it, and Buda Castle, which has retained its status despite Katy Perry's best efforts to deface it.

There are three photo albums on my Flickr site: the Buda side with the castle, Matthais Church and Fisherman's Bastion; the more bustling Pest side, with its churches, synagogues, Opera House, majestic buildings and the right hand of a patron saint; and a combined album with shots crossing the Danube and on Margaret Island, an oasis in the middle of the Danube. 

Up next: A return trip to Berlin, this time with The Professor and He Who Can't Beat Me at FIFA 12, to take in one of Europe's most vibrant cities and watch the Bundesliga champions play Hertha Berlin.