April 17, 2009
Vienna
We arrived at Vienna at 12 noon, after a 4 hour comfortable bus ride from Prague. The bus station was around what seems to be the financial district and we took the underground train to get to our hotel, which surprisingly was located right in the middle of a popular shopping district at the Ring Boulevard, at the top of LaCoste store, no less:
The hotel we booked, Pension Nossek, was elegant and old-fashioned. After checking-in, we walked around the area to find a place to sample Vienna's cuisine but ended up at Mcdonald's!
Near our hotel, we went to see one of the major tourist destinations in Vienna, the Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), which has survived through many wars and has become a symbol of Vienna's freedom.
We later on went to Hofburg, which used to be the political centre of the monarchy. Now, it is the seat of government of the democratic Republic of Austria.
Inside, we saw the Imperial Silver Collection, set of elaborate dining centerpieces and valuable golden and silverwares.
We also saw the Imperial Apartments, where we gained an insight into the lives of Austria's most illustrious imperial couple, Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, also known as Sisi. We also visited the Sisi museum, where we got to know more about the legend of Sisi.
After Hofburg, we walked around Ring Boulevard. We chanced upon the Museum of Fine Arts and its counterpart the Museum of Natural History.
We spent the rest of the evening at the shopping area around the hotel. I bought myself a pair of handsome brown leather shoes, made in Italy, worth 120 euros!
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