36 Hours in Vienna

Vienna. What a wonderful place to be if you appreciate European culture! From harpists in the park to masterpieces of art, there was a lot to take in!

Attractions:

Belvedere Museum: Another ex-royal palace turned into art musuem, this museum is home to works by Gustav Klimt, the famous painting of Napoleon on a rearing horse, as well as many others. Great gardens. Didn't think the converted stables was much to see (so not worth the additional cost).

Spanish Riding School: This place is legendary. With a horse-riding tradition of over 450 years, it's steeped in tradition. The shows consist of riding beautiful white Lipizzaner stallions performing a form of dressage known as haute ecole.

The downside: there are no regular performances or tours during the summer recess. Looks like I'll have to try to go there another time.

Stephanzplatz: One of the most famous squares in Vienna, this is pretty much the center of town. St. Stephen's Cathedral is there, as well as many touristy shops and some unusual things (like a statue dedicated to the Black Plague).

Museum of Military History: Truly the best that I've been to so far (and I've been to the Imperial War Museum in London and have seen a bunch of war-related things in the US)-- this covers a lot of Austrian history from medieval to WWII. They have a tank garden (with many many tanks), a Howitzer, a Goliath land mine, and even an underwater section! We actually ran out of time because there was so much to see. Definitely worth another visit.

Parks:

A short walk from our hotel, this place was amazing and Silas and I randomly stumbled across a fantastic set of playgrounds. I think it's this park (Jesuitenwiese). The slide is actually visible on google maps (satellite view)!