JFitzpatrick Travel LLC

You may recall that last month, I began my riverboat trip in Budapest. From there, we continued west along the Danube to Bratislava and then Vienna.

OK, so how many people have heard of Bratislava or, Slovakia? For sure, you’ve probably heard of Prague and Czechoslovakia, but did you know that Czechoslovakia no longer exists? There’s now the Czech Republic,  which is one country with Prague as its capital and Slovakia, a totally different country with Bratislava as its capital?  Don’t feel bad!  I only learned this recently!  (FYI—Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two countries in 1993.)

So what’s there to know about Bratislava?  One good thing about being on a riverboat is that our docking point was right in the heart of the city—stepped off the boat and right into the 18th century old town full of bars, cafes, tree-lined streets and tourists.

With a population of almost 1/2 million and as Slovakia’s largest city, Bratislava is charming, but limited. It is located directly on the Danube bordering both Austria and Hungary and lends itself as a perfect stopping point for a look into an evolving country.  The architecture is stunning with a massive castle perched on a hilltop overlooking the city but the city and country are still developing their own identity.  (Remember, Slovakia only began as an independent nation in 1993.)   Wonderful for a brief stopover, but I wouldn’t recommend staying overnight unless you’re really into hiking and nature trails.

 Ron—training for the “Tour de France”

Sailing on down the river, Vienna was next. Oh, what a glorious city and experience!

Have you seen the movie, “The Woman in GOLD”?  If so, you’ve seen pictures of Vienna and the “Belvedere Museum” which housed the controversial “Lady in Gold” painting by Gustav Klimt for over 60 years.  Part of my excitement about visiting Vienna was because I knew I’d have a chance to visit the Belvedere and see additional Klimt paintings.

Before I share more information about Vienna, I’d like for you to see some of the magnificent paintings by Klimt.  Replicas of his artwork are all over Vienna but the original “Lady in Gold” painting is in the Neue Gallerie in NYC.  If you haven’t seen it or heard about the controversy surrounding items stolen by the Nazis,  the movie is SO worth seeing.

 “Judith”, by Klimt–in the Belvedere

Though I’d been to Vienna before, I had forgotten just how beautiful the city is.  From wonderful museums (the Kunsthistoriches is world-class), to classical architecture to great shopping, food and scenery, Vienna has all the makings of a wonderful city and is well worth visiting. I loved that we had two days here as a part of this trip including lots of sightseeing and a fabulous dinner at a private palace.

Some of Vienna’s highlights included:

 

 

 IHave you ever had a “Sacher-Torte”?  It’s DELICIOUS and

 The Spanish RIding School featuring the Lipizzan Horses!

An unexpected  treat was seeing the Vienna Boys Choir members as they let out from their days’ studies. We saw that there were a number of people gathered around a courtyard and inquired about what they were waiting for. They indicated that “The Boys” were scheduled to let out from school and they were hoping to catch a picture. After waiting a few minutes, no one arrived and we continued on our way.  Lo and behold, they came out of a totally different door and we were able to see the young lads en masse.  Aren’t these young guys cute and look at their compadre walking with his parents!

 Mom and Dad were beaming.  What an honor!

So, in addition to  memories of great architecture, food and shopping and Mozart’s lasting musical legacy, we all reveled in a surprise dinner and show at the Palais Pallavicini—a private palace directly across the street from the Austrian Royal Family’s Hofburg Palace.  The Pallavicini family still lives there and are of Italian aristocracy.  Imagine being greeted by a royal member of their family and, after delving into the family’s history, being treated to an evening of classical music, opera, ballet and dinner!  Do you think we enjoyed ourselves?

 

I could go on and on about Vienna  as it’s one of my favorite cities.  Rather than bore you with more, I invite you to explore it for yourself. Whether you are with a group or on your own, you will surely come away with your own love for this city.  If I can help you with your explorations, please let me know and until next time, here’s wishing you a Happy New Year!

By the way, if you wish to join us on a future trip, we will be traveling in 2016/2017 to the following places:

Until next time,

Janice