Day 12 – Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna.

22 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by KidazzleInk.com in Amsterdam to Budapest, Austria, Schonbrunn Palace, Uncategorized, Vienna

Tags

Austria, Baroque, Gloriette, House of Habsburg, Like a Fairy Tale, Rococo, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna

Schonbronn Palace,Vienna

Less than one hundred years ago, Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna had been the enormous Summer Residence of the Imperial Habsburg Family.

The Habsburgs had ruled over an extensive Austrian/Hungarian Empire for several hundred years. Many generations of reigning Habsburgs had gone about their daily life inside this Enormous Palace. They had called it home from about the 17^th right through to the early 20^th Century. Every Summer they’d returned to open up both the family residential rooms and the stately Imperial Rooms. Amazingly there were over 1,400 rooms in all. This video below will give you a great overview of this enchanting palace in all its glory.

So on the afternoon of Day 12 of our river cruise, we were rather excited to be heading off for yet another afternoon of exploration…we would be spending some time wandering this spellbinding castle and its absolutely magical grounds. During this time we’d have opportunity to view both the internal rooms and the historically prized formal gardens.

To say Schonbrunn is architecturally ornate would be an understatement. It was rich, it was lavish and there had obviously been no expense spared during its creation.

It’s beautiful Baroque Exterior gives way to all the glorious detail contained in its royal Rococo Interior decor. It was truly just like a fairy tale palace and so befitting the King and Queen of this large and strictly ruled European empire.

But by 1919, the end of World War 1, ownership of Schonbrunn Palace was finally transferred from the royal family to the new Austrian Republic that had just come into power.

Today Schonbrunn Palace mainly serves as a tourist destination. Some 2,000,000 people are said to visit this popular sightseeing area every year. They come from all around the globe to view its beautiful finery and learn more about its history.

The sheer size of Schonbrunn is almost unbelievable. Who among us would ever have lived in a home of such grand proportions? Most certainly not D.B. or I.

Along with its 1441 rooms, there were also many acres of beautiful statued formal gardens, a most impressive Gloriette which offers absolutely enchanting views over the palace, a zoo and even an enormous palm house for exotics.

Garden statues, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna

We spent over 2 hours viewing the stunning interior and the gardens but it was most certainly not enough. I personally could easily have spent the whole day there. WOW what another amazing place…it was just like stepping into your very own Fairy Tale.

More of Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nZ1QCktfgw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3UQaKJFcgQ

Day 12 – Vienna; City of Enchantment, My City of Dreams. (kidazzleink.com)
The Schönbrunn Palace (epehota.wordpress.com)
October 19th, 2013: Day 6 – Spanish Riding School (genevaandvienna.wordpress.com)

Day 6 – Wurzburg and its Magnificent Residenz

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by KidazzleInk.com in Amsterdam to Budapest, Uncategorized, Viking River Cruise, Wurzburg

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Amsterdam to Budapest, Baroque, Germany, Mirror Room, Northern Franconia, Rococo, Viking River Cruise, WOW and Amazing, Wurzburg Residence

Dragon Artwork- Wurzburg Residence

We’d now docked in Wurzburg, Franconia (Population approx 144,000). We’d sailed from Miltenberg the previous evening and then travelled on down the Main River through the night. Today we’d moved into the Northern Barvarian Region of Germany.

We were preparing ourselves for another enjoyable morning of sightseeing when over the longship’s speaker system came the call we’d all been waiting for:

“A very, very, lovely good morning to you all my wonderful ladies and gentlemen. This is your first call for this morning. Would those of you wishing to join our morning’s sightseeing in Wurzburg to visit the Residenz Palace, please start to make their way to the departure area.”

Ceiling Painting – Wurzburg Residence

We were in the habit of dressing early, then waiting for these ‘always on time’ and ‘always oh so polite’ announcements to come from our absolutely wonderful and extremely well organized, travel-hostess, Valerie.

Today the announcement procedures were no different…..yet I found myself becoming more excited as our departure drew nearer. Afterall, today we would soon be heading off to see one of the most ornate, most spectacular residences in Germany, a residence with some real “WOW” factor –“The Wurzburg Residenz.”

Wurzburg Residence, Germany

Another photo of Wurzburg Residence, Germany.

Architect, Balthaser Neumann designed and co-ordinated the building of this extraordinarily, beautiful baroque palace back in the early 1700s. It was built for Prince-Bishop Johann Phillipp Franz von Shonborn and the Counts of Shonborn. It encapsulated the work of many of the very finest artists and craftsmen of the day, including the ornamentation genius, Antonio Bossi and ceiling painter extraordinaire, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

Ornate work, Wurzburg Palace

On viewing the residence Dearly Beloved (D.B.) and I were naturally awestruck. Afterall, we’d never seen a structure of such ornate magnificence. It captured so many different historical styles of interior décor of the time. I believe it could be described as similar to, yet different from the Palace of Versailles in France. Having not seen Versailles myself I can’t really comment.

Mirror Room, Wurzburg Residence

Ornate Ceiling Work, Wurzburg Residence

As we followed our “Residenz Tour Guide” from one highly decorative area of the palace to another exploring each the individual rooms, the whole splendor of place just seemed to envelope us in its history and grandeur.

It seemed to become more and more ornate as we moved further into the building.

Antique Room Heater, Wurzburg Residence

We saw so much; first there was the large entry vestibule, then we moved on to the enormous grand staircase room with its extremely high painted ceilings, then there was the absolute beauty of the neoclassical White Room, the marble and stucco work of the Imperial Hall, the dazzling Room of Mirrors, the Residenz Chapel and so so much more.

Lost for words for most of the time, all I seemed to be able to say as one door closed and another opened was………

Wow, Wow, Wow and Wow or else lots of O.M.G’s which for me is Oh My Goodness or Oh My Golly Goloshes!