Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Augarten porcelain

I found this summerly arrangement in the window of the shop of Augarten porcelain on Graben in the city center. Augarten porcelain, founded in 1718, is famous for its delicate and graceful shape, its clean lines and exquisite details. The porcelain is still produced and painted by hand in the manufactory at Augarten Palace in Vienna´s second district.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Ice cream

At the moment it seems like summer is over, all of a sudden the temperature got very autumnal. Please don´t ask me how I feel about it. However, the confectionary Oberlaa in the city center is still promoting its homemade ice cream.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Breaking the rules: Trip to Salzburg #3

Salzburg is dominated by Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. On the left side you can see a part of the baroque Mirabell Palace, where some famous scenes of "The Sound of Music" have been recorded and which nowadays is a popular location for weddings.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Breaking the rules: Trip to Salzburg #2

This photo shows a part of the baroque cathedral (in front of which during the Salzburg Festival the drama "Everyman" by Hugo von Hofmannsthal is performed) and the sculpture "Sphaera" by German artist Stephan Balkenhol.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Breaking the rules: Trip to Salzburg #1

Let me take you on a short trip to Salzburg where I stayed the last weekend. Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and well known for the Salzburg Festival and for being the native town of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). Salzburg´s "Old Town" with its baroque architecture is one of the best preserved city centers north of the Alps and was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Rudolf Bednar Park

As I told you already in a previous post there is a lot of construction activity going on in the second district. An important building site is the former freight station of Nordbahnhof (North Railway Station) where now residential and office buildings as well as a school are being constructed.
This photo shows the Rudolf Bednar Park in the center of the new area and one of the new residential buildings in the background. Rudolf Bednar was a social democratic politician and head of the second district from 1977 to 1984.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Blue sky and modern architecture

This is another view of "Viertel Zwei", a new quarter in the second district (you can find previous posts here and here). On the left side you can see the office building of the Austrian mineral oil authority OMV and on the right side a very modern food stall.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Bags

I saw these bags at "Die Vermischte Warenhandlung", a very nice shop in the city center that I have mentioned already here.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sweet Sunday #5

These candies are sold in a candy store in the city center that I mentioned already here.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Scooter

I see this scooter every day on my way to work and just love the colour.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Johannes Nepomuk Church

The baroque Johannes Nepomuk Church on Gersthofer Straße in the 18th district built from 1736 to 1737.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Unusual facade

This unusual facade is a part of the apartment building "Hundertwasser-Krawina-Haus" in the 3rd district. Designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) and built between 1983 and 1986, this unconventional building has no straight lines or surfaces, it is completely asymmetrical with tortuous corridors, rounded-off corners and many plants and trees growing on unusual spots.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Enjoying the evening sun

If you take a good look at this photograph you will see a lady sitting on the bank of the New Danube and enjoying the evening sun. I stumbled upon this scene yesterday while riding my bicycle on Donauinsel and would have loved to be in her place.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Beautiful villa

A beautiful villa on Pötzleinsdorfer Straße in Währing, the 18th district of Vienna, a predominantly residential district in the northwest of the city known for being rather up-market in terms of real estate - no wonder, you can find there a lot of villas like this one.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Shop windows on Kohlmarkt #4

The "Diesel" flagship store is showing in his window a photograph of the series "Sand People" by young Austrian photographer Andreas Waldschütz.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Shop windows on Kohlmarkt #1

Kohlmarkt (Coal Market) is one of the oldest streets in Vienna, once it was inhabited by the Royal court appointed jewellers. Today it´s the home of the most famous brand names in the world... "Tommy Hilfiger" seems to be one of the last shops where sale is still going on.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Think!

That´s a detail of a window of a shoe store in the city center. It´s a pity that I haven´t passed there earlier, I could have used this photo for the August Theme Day (Bright Colours).

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Hidden

A family home hiding behind the leaves on a quiet street in the 19th district.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Vineyard

In Vienna you can find 731 hectares of vineyards, a better part of them is located on Kahlenberg and Nussberg in the 19th district. The 640 Viennese winegrowers are producing 2,5 million liters every year. The most important white wines produced are Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Welschriesling, the red wines are Blauer Zweigelt, Pinot noir, Blauburger, Cabernet Sauvignon and St. Laurent.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Heuriger

In the 19th district (especially in Grinzing, Sievering and Neustift am Walde), you can find a lot of "Heuriger", wine-taverns, where winegrowers serve the most recent year´s wine. A "Heuriger" has legal limitations different of those from a restaurant: Only its own wine and a limited selection of food can be served. Additionally, it can only be open a certain amount of time a year. Usually a couple of conifer or fir twigs hung above the entrance door indicate that guests are welcome.
In Vienna many restaurants have the appearance of a "Heuriger" but have in fact a normal restaurant licence and are selling wine from outside sources and even beer and coffee, which would be unthinkable at an authentical "Heuriger". You can find a calender of the open "Heuriger" here.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Lehár-Schikaneder-Schlössel

The 1737 erected Lehár-Schikaneder-Schlössel is located in the 19th district and housed two famous artists: from 1802 to 1812 Emanuel Schikaneder, the librettist of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart´s opera "The Magic Flute", and from 1932 to 1944 Franz Lehár, composer of operettas. In the former parlour on the first floor autographs, paintings, photographs and memorabilia are exibited. As the building is privately owned visits are possible only on prior appointment.

Monday, August 2, 2010

View of the town #1

That´s one view of the town from Kahlenberg which is - as I mentioned already here - a very popular destination for an excursion within the city limit.
This week I will show you some pictures of the northwestern outskirts of Vienna. Stay tuned!