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Showing posts with label beautiful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beautiful. Show all posts

Sunday, 9 November 2014

#96 Vienna, Austria

Vienna is the capital city of Austria, a country most famous for 'The Sound of Music' and bearded woman/Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst.



The main sights are the three palaces - Schonbrunn, Belvedere and Hofburg. You can also see other impressive buildings including the Rathaus, St Stephens Cathedral and the Opera House. There are many impressive shopping streets, the most famous being Kärntner Straße (near the cathedral) and Mariahilfer Straße (near the Museums Quartier). 

There is the Naschmarkt, an outdoor market where you can sample both local and international foods. There is a big zoo (where you can see Giant Pandas!) but prices are a little expensive so I gave it a miss. You can also get standing tickets for the Opera for under €10, but you have to queue early to be sure you get one. In terms of transport, I would recommend to get either the 24, 48 or 72 hour ticket (prices from around €7 to €17). 

It uses the Euro which is convenient, but it is more expensive than nearby countries like Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia. It is centrally located and really easy to hop on a train and get a cheap ticket to many of its neighbouring countries, which is always a positive. 

Ryanair don't fly to Vienna - but don't worry as they do fly to Bratislava in neighbouring Slovakia, which is only one hour away by train. 

I wasn't a huge fan of Vienna. It was nice, it was pretty, it was clean, it was efficient, the weather was great - but for me something didn't click. Perhaps it was a little safe, nothing made me gasp in awe and wonder. It was nice but for me it just wasn't amazing.

Schönbrunn Palace

Schonbrunn Gardens


Buildings at the Naschmarkt

Vienna Opera House

 Kärntner Straße

Hofburg Palace

Vienna Rathaus

Prater Ferris Wheel

Sunday, 3 March 2013

#43 Woodland Cemetery Skogskyrkogården

This week I visited the Woodland Cemetery (Skogskyrkogården), a UNESCO World Heritage Site here in Stockholm. Some of the main features include a large wooden cross, a crematorium and of course all the large trees and thousands of graves.












The Cemetery is a really pretty, special place to visit. While some would think it strange to visit a graveyard, I found it very peaceful to walk around, and it is a popular tourist destination. The trees and the snow make it a beautiful and moving location in the winter, but I am looking forward to going back in the Spring when it will be bright and green.

It's situated right beside a metro station, only about 15 mins from the centre of the city. It's open all the time and free, but funerals are held there regularly. Here's the website: http://www.skogskyrkogarden.se/en/index.php