Vienna

Viennese charm,
the very sound of the  name of this town , builds pressure on  enormous rich memories that many of us associate  with the metropolis. Being  under the spell of the city, so important from the point of European  and also Polish history,where  many wonderful aspects of Vienna await  one to enjoy  this fascinating  town . Historical, cultural, social trends and events shaping here in Vienna, had a huge impact on the fate of Europe, and Poland .

This is a city in which many of our people emigrated into  the wide world. At the time of partitions, many Poles went through Vienna to Paris, which was  the center of the patriotic movement of the Polish nation. Through Vienna  was the  steady  flow  of the  refugees stream of XVIII and XIX centuries .  The young Chopin, whose the 200th anniversary of birthday, fans are celebrating around the world this year ,was  also deeply associated with Vienna. In the year 1831,  through Vienna, Frederick went to Paris to help there, members  of the “ great emigration of Polish freedom fighters. The modern Polish history, many of us  while  searching for freedom,  used Vienna  as proverbial shelter and also as ”gateway” to a better future. Vienna was the  place to start a life change.  In  this magnificent city masses  of us went to the overseas divisions of our Globe to find better life .  The presence of House of Habsburg, in contemporary Vienna, the profile in architecture, music and painting is omnipresent .  The Dynasty  was one of the absolutist monarchy in Europe, who participated in the Polish partitions, created by many years of specific ”order” of European governance, but  was the order?  Lets leave it to historians to evaluate this and lets enjoy the walks    around the streets of Vienna, to rejoice  the sense  of  beauty of this city.

Despite the regime of the , often despotic “ absolutism “  the period  brought into  Europe , of course through Vienna ,  new  philosophical ideas and political mechanisms that drove the history of Europe  towards new concepts of the  political  kind of  “renaissance “   . One needs  to appreciate  that it  was during Habsburgs  days , when  great developments  in  art, philosophy, where many great composers, painters, writers, thinkers  created  “ revolutionary “  trends of development in Europe.

We need to  remember that composers like Mozart, van Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt, Mahler, brilliant mind of Freud, Klimt’s creative audacity, all of these dynamic ideas of human activity  came from  Vienna .  This town stimulated  many  minds  towards  liberating thoughts and creation  in sphere of humanistic   and artistic  activities .

Visit Vienna’s Museums is an incredible experience. You can find there mass of knowledge about the development of this immense city.   ”Glober Museum ” it is a rich collection of maps, globes, and other wonderful devices used to observe  universe. By contrast ,”Leopold  Museum’ ‘is an interesting collection of works by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt.

“Lichtenstein museum ”is one of important European  collections representing art of  Renaissance  and Baroque periods, these important periods  in shaping modern societies of contemporary Europe.”Belvedere” is a magnificent palace built by Prince Eugene Savoy, where there is also superb collection of works by Klimt, Schiele and Waldmüller. “Sigmund Freud Museum”  it is museum institution, where one  can find lots of information about the life of the “Father of Psychoanalysis”  Sigmund Freud,. While visiting this museum we can embark  on adventure of our own analysis of our  personality, by studying  details of the concept  related to ”psychoanalysis” and other scientific theories explaining , still surprising aspects of the human subconscious. This museum was opened in 1971 and since that moment is one of the most important museums in Austria. “Wien Museum” is a museum where there are excellent sources of information related  to the rich history of this  amazing  town .Vienna is one of the few cities in the world, where while visiting  this great metropolis  one experiences feeling of amazing aura  of stability. Aura and mood  of a specific  vibrations order allowing one to float in the air of  musical sounds of great composers  of  Strauss family . They bring us into “fantasy land”. In Vienna, as nowhere else one can enter the  “Sacher Café” , ”Aida Café ” and in the  atmosphere straight from the turn of the  “fin de siècle”’. “Café Chawelka”  like  in the old days  at the same place, with the same Viennese charm. These institutions of social life in Vienna, one can  drink  wonderful mocha ,  taste the delicious Sacher cake , or other type  of wonderful creamy  delights of pastries and  Viennese  tortes . In Vienna,  like the old days, in the beautiful alleys of Vienna’s old town, with a smile, recalling the history of Habsburg ,often amusingly reflected in ”Adventures of the brave Soldier Svejk”  one can  have a drink  wine in small dose of typical size of glass “achtel’ .”Zwölf Apostel Keller,”or  many another charming wine cellars as ”Capuciner Keller , bring spirit of the  old Vienna . Sensational sandwiches with a small “ Beer “  just off the Graben at  the bar, ”  Trzesniewski” as usual  provides delicious “ canapés” .    At the bar, hastily, to stop hunger   consuming these small masterpieces of gastronomic art, we get another boost of energy, to  continue further hike in the beautiful Vienna. An atmosphere of ”   Trzesniewski “ brings one into refreshed  world of   unforgettable memories of youth.

The renowned restaurant “Wienerwald”   for many years, also in  presents its menu  of  typical Viennese cuisine with one of the specialties  famous  ”Vienna Schnitzel “ . With potato salad , sipping  on famous brand of beers  like  “Ottakringer” , “Goser” or  “Schwechat”   the  joy of taste and Vienna experience is guaranteed .  These beers  were  delight   of beer drinkers, even at the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . Hungry, in a hurry,  rushing tourists, seek any  place to enjoy Vienna  treats of well presented “ cold cuts” . Fast food kiosks, so-called  “Imbiss” provide these goodies .. With humor and a Viennese “Gemütlichkeit” sellers  serve  all kinds of sausages and other meat products to the consumers delight . Nicely presented  on  crunchy “Kaiser” bread rolls ,still hot sausage by the counter, on one leg, right on the street, drinking Austrian  Riesling  or Veltliner  from the vicinity of the nearby Wachau region, it is true enjoyment . Real  Vienna satisfaction to stop  hunger and thirst. So all of these joys and many more sensations  one has a pleasure to  experience during one of  “ Kaiser”  Vienna’s wanderings, along most  important street , where  famous, elegant meet ,being  the main pedestrian street of Vienna, Kartnerstrasse. And it is here, on this  promenade we watch and are being watched.  Here we witness kaleidoscope of cultures, nationalities, races mixing  with elegance  of Vienna. Staring at shop windows of Vienna shops  presenting  the world  with  top class of cosmetics, jewelry , best goldsmiths bijouterie , haute culture designs  of  Chanel, Cardin and Dior  , as well displays of candies and famous delicious  chocolate products with well  known ”Mozart Kugeln”  is a visual delight , for the  swift stream of  joyous  crowd  flowing  between landmarks of Opera House and  Cathedral of Saint Stephen.   Yes, Vienna is one of the cities  where tourists  , beside  visiting  stunning architectural sites  of the period  dating the  Empress Theresa and other rulers of this extraordinary monarchy,  can  indulge  in  wildest dreams and fantasies . Everything that one carried  in  memories  for many years about Vienna can be realized now . This is the city maybe not called  “eternal” like  Rome, but nevertheless provides a sense of village-like stability, a sense of the atmosphere of old days of glory ,refinement, power and magnificence of European culture. Emotions  take one into world  imagination. In Vienna we carry  the sense of suspended time. Internal clock which each of us carries in his soul, driven by the pace, stress of modern life, seems to be “frozen” in Vienna.   Only  the sounds of horses  hoofs on the pavement  of  Viennese streets, measure the  second.  The tapping and drumming  of  the familiar rhythms of the era of ”Blue Danube” by droshkies  absorbs  us in the world of fantasy and charm of the past glory of Vienna. Humming melodies of the times of Emperor Franz Joseph, the rhythm of these days  are  not forgotten in the full of rich tones atmosphere of the Vienna streets, pubs and wine cellars .Johan Strauss waltzes, sentimental wandering through the alleys of Vienna, is magnificent, “antidote” to the disease  of XXI century, which is the continual lack of time. Promenading the beautiful Vienna  “ Strasse “ or “ Gasse”  is enriching  of one mind with  thoughts . Be it about life, passing or the important values that present themselves in Vienna  concert halls,  museums , walkways ,  in the magnificent architectural forms and  the wealth of art collections of paintings  and music.

In addition to walking, you can  learn about  joy of use of  white-red color, trams. These vehicles  allow  great ride along the RING Strasse , broad avenue, which was implemented in the current shape during the nineteenth century, surrounds the old town of Vienna. This stylish urban ring of the city, lined with magnificent jewels of  monumental buildings of Parliament, Hofburg, Opera House, the Burg Theater, Votive Kirche , interspersed with green carpets of parks is  a wonderful showcase of Vienna. Riding along the Ring, one sees a huge square of “ Schwarzenberg Platz  “, where the impressive   monument  commemorating  contribution of Soviet troops in liberating  Vienna from the  hostilities  of  WWII .  The RING can be starting   point  to  small escapade to  further districts “ Bezirks “in Vienna. . Using the underground railway ”U-bahn” , one can visit the beautiful Schonbrunn Palace,  or ”Schnellbahn “  fast train  one can go to “Grinzing”. To this merry  ,full of fun  place , to  experience the joyful moments of ” Heurigen” ,  sipping  quality   Austrian wines.

From  Grinzing  it is only short trip to the top of  Kalenberg.

This is the mount  covered with beautiful trees  where on its ”summit” amongst Vienna Woods, one finds  lovely , small Church . It is the place  where in 1683  relief of Vienna  under  Polish King John Sobieski, took place . He , the Johanness Sobieski  led  united forces  Christian armies against the  Turkish forces of Kara Mustafa. Near the city center, where you can get by  tram, is the third “Bezirk”. There is, of beautiful outer garment, naive art style,” unprecedented building. This manifestation of a huge fantasy designed by the famous Hundertwasser, an international artist with Polish roots, his work is often reminiscent of the famous Polish artist Nikifor, is a great experience for visitors. The building with its colors, stucco, forms of outer facade,  is  as moved from the land of fairy tales.
Vienna, despite the physical distance, is always close to the romantic souls. It inspires, lovers of the beauty of art, rich history, aesthetics, urbanism, all of which humanistic values are close to the heart.

August 2010