The last day in Vienna - Zentralfriedhof, Kunsthaus Wien, Hundertwasserhaus...

First things first - breakfast at the hotel and checkout.  Breakfast was fine.  Actually, the coffee wasn’t fine (and I'm not too particular), but there’s always tea...  Checkout was nice and easy and there were no problems, everything was correct and the receptionist was really helpful in letting us store our suitcases for the day and pointing us in the right direction to find the Zentralfriedhof (main cemetery) where Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss, Shubert and many other illustrious Viennese people are buried. 

We took tram lines this time. Tram #6.  I liked it better than the Ubahn because you get to see the city that you are passing through.  It was snowing pretty hard • not such a great day for trudging around a cemetery, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless.

 

When we finally reached the cemetery (if you ever go there be sure to get off at door 2 which is the main entrance) we did get off at the correct stop and worked our way through the snow up the main lane in the cemetery to the Karl Borromäus-Kirche, also known as the Dr. Karl Lueger-Kirche, which is an important example of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) architecture and was built in 1908 (the year construction commenced). We were able to explore the church freely.  There is an elevator in an alcove off the main sanctuary where you can go to the upper and basement levels.  I read that there is a bus that transports people around the enormous cemetery, but didn't see it.

After warming up a little inside the church and taking some pictures, we headed back outside into the heavy snowfall and wandered through some of the graveyard and then worked our way back toward the church.  As you approach the church from the entrance to the cemetery, on the right side is the area where the musicians are buried.

  It’s a strange feeling to be standing beside the final resting place of Beethoven, Brahms and such.  The graveyard was quiet and peaceful with the snow falling. There were a few other people, but not many. Maybe because it was too cold.

Finally, after a few pictures we walked back through the snow to the tram again and took it to connect with the Ubahn and then headed for one of the other places I really wanted to see: the Kunsthaus Wien and the Hundertwasserhaus. 

The Hundertwasserhaus

Finding this place wasn’t so easy, but finally we found it after wandering all over the place.  There is a coffee shop right in the Hundertwasserhaus on the second level, with a terrace, but it didn’t look inviting at all, so we had a coffee across the street at a warm cheerful place called Baker’s Café where the view of the building was better.

There wasn’t much to do there - just take a few pictures of this housing project with irregular forms and lines, hundreds of trees on terraces and the rooftop, irregular windows, brightly colored tiles and ceramic details on columns and decorating the façade.  I’m glad to have seen it.  It wasn’t as inviting as I would have expected, but it’s colorful and the organic forms are interesting.  I would have liked to go inside. 

In front of the building there is a little touristy place called “The Village” where they sell Hundertwasser souvenirs. I don’t think that he designed the center, but they’ve done it following his style.  There is a neat bar in the village with a little stream of water running down the middle of the marble bar and ending in a little waterfall.  It also is the home of the “toilet of modern art” kind of a gimmick which is a Hundertwasser style public bathroom which you have to pay 0,30 € to visit.

  No, I didn't fall for that one, but my friend did and I'll add a picture or two... 

Kunsthaus Wien

The Kunsthaus Wien is very close to the Hundertwasserhaus and we headed there next to see the exhibits there and feel and see what the building is like on the inside.  Basically there are virtually no straight lines; even the floor surface is uneven.  Somehow you feel as if you were in a natural outdoor setting in the building. It felt relaxing, warm, and comfortable.  The museum gives you a chance to see a lot of Hundertwasser’s brightly colored graphic arts, some of his architectural projects and some insight into his philosophy.

By the time we had seen that, we were rapidly running out of time to get to the airport!  We sort of cut the Kunsthaus visit a little short and headed back to the hotel on tram line 1.

  Everything worked out perfectly. The tram ride to the hotel took about 20 minutes • we got the suitcase, and then took the tram to the U-bahn station at Karlsplatz.  From there we made the necessary connections to finally reach the airport.  I really wanted to take the S-bahn to the airport but this proved to be impossible!!! Where is S-bahn line 7???  I know that you can get to the airport on that line, but it was impossible to find and I didn’t have enough time to be stubborn!!  The CAT train’s soothing green line, leads you from where you are to where you need to go.... only 9 euros.... so we took the CAT train again!

Airport check-in with Austrian Airlines at the Vienna Airport... well, all I can say is it’s computerized... You need to check yourself in (those computer terminals are surely putting a lot of people out of work!) and if you don’t have to check anything in, human interaction is kept to a minimum.

  When we initially tried to get in the line to check in, we were effectively barred. 

“You must self check in at the computer terminals!” 

“And If I want to be checked in?” 

“That is not permitted!”

All I can say is that if you don’t speak one of the languages available on the terminals, you would be in trouble!  But, seriously, it worked out fine, you just type in your name and reservation number, it lets you pick a seat and it prints the boarding passes.  There also are attendants on duty that can help out if you have a problem.

  Then you’re on your way (unless you have to check something in. If so, you need to stand in a baggage drop line).

So, now we’re on the plane on the way back to Warsaw.  Vienna is a fantastic city. The people I encountered were friendly, the food was good, the sights beautiful...  I managed to see most of the places that I had read about and was interested in visiting.  The Hat Museum, Schloss Belvedere, the Prater and many more remain.  I hope to return some day.

 

About Coffeehouses

This is a "must do" while in Vienna.

  Just this short experience in Vienna is enough for me to say that when you are in Vienna, be sure to visit a coffeehouse. Don’t miss it!  I read that many students and artists in the city practically take up residence in their favorites. In addition to coffee, most coffeehouses serve snacks and complete meals, as well as wine, beer and just about any other beverage you may feel like trying.

For a great ending to an afternoon spent in a museum or walking around the city, relax with coffee (adding anything from whipped cream to cognac), accompanied by a fine pastry and a newspaper. Don't worry about being rushed off: You can stay forever and no one will bother you.

 

About the 72-hour public transportation card

Public transportation in Vienna is really good.

  Regarding the 72 hour card - Do this! It cost me 13,60 Euros, but if you’re planning on seeing a lot you will save money and time.  A single ticket costs 1,70€.  We must have taken public transportation at least 20 times (if not more).  This turns out to be quite a savings. 

The public transportation is divided into fare zones and if travelling beyond one zone, the prices increase.  However, being that the entire city is in the same zone (100) just about everything that you’d want to see during a short visit to the city is located within one fare zone, so, aside from getting to and from the airport you shouldn’t have to pay anything else. 

No matter what kind of ticket you have, keep in mind that you can use the same ticket for a journey that involves trips by bus, tram, metro and/or train, and you can change as often as you have to without having to buy a new ticket.

  During our stay there we encountered controls where public transportation personnel ask to see your ticket.  I’m not sure how often this happens, but be sure to have a valid ticket with you to avoid problems!  The problem would be about 70 Euros and a trip to the nearest police station!

Finally, not only the U-bahn and S-bahn installations, but the whole city in general felt very safe.