In house and garden

Playing with 'Socki'

Cooking pizza.

In front of the house.

Ana encounters snow for the first time (24.Oct.2003).

In Schönbrunn and in the Zoo (3. Oct. 2003)

Feeding a squirrel in the park of Schönbrunn.

Standing at the summit of Schönbrunn Hill, the Gloriette constitutes the crowning architectonic feature of the gardens. Erected in 1775 after designs by the architect Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg, it consists of a central section, which today houses the Café Gloriette, and two lateral wings which open out into a colonnade of eleven arches between Doric columns.

Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria and since the 1860s has also been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. Soon after the end of the monarchy the population of Vienna discovered the park as an attractive recreational area. Eventually the palace was also opened to the public, drawing around 1.5 million visitors annually.

The park and all the other attractions at Schönbrunn together see a further 5.2 million visitors each year, giving a grand total of 6.7 million visitors to the imposing palace complex each year. At the 20th session of the World Heritage Committee held in December1996 Schönbrunn Palace was put on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, an institution founded in 1972. Inclusion in this list confirms the importance of the palace and its gardens as a Baroque work of art.

Schönbrunn Palace was not only an imperial residence and the setting for countless festivities, but also a place where famous artists and craftsmen from many different epochs created interiors of great beauty. All the rooms in the palace have their own stories to tell, stories on the margins of great historical events which are indicative of the lifestyle, atmosphere and world view of the imperial era.

Visiting friends

Visiting Susi, Roman and Italo (the big italian cat) eating 'Hot Stone' (grill).

Ana & Italo.

Ana in Hadres (in the very north of Austria, 11.Oct.2003)

Arrival in Hadres

Searching for a good wine.

Erwin pouring wine for Ana.

Drinking good wine.

In front of a wine cellar.

Eating grapes.

Donauturm (13. Oct. 2003)

The 'Donauturm'.

In the Donau-Park.

View to the center of Vienna from the observation deck of the 'Donauturm'.

On the 'Donauturm'. The observation deck is 150m above ground.

In the Donau-Park again.

A China restaurant...

... with a beautiful garden.

Gnocchi-Party with Terry & Andreas (14. Oct. 2003)

1st District of Vienna (16. Oct. 2003)

In front of the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral.

St. Stephen's Cathedral.

On the observation deck of St. Stephen's Cathedral, near the famous big bell 'Pummerin'.

Another view over Vienna where u can see the 'Riesenrad' (Big Wheel) in 'Prater'.

Inside St. Stephen's Cathedral.

The most attractive way getting around Vienna on a sunny day is to take a 'Fiaker'.

Resting in a Restaurant of the Philippino Community in the center of Vienna.

In the 1st District.

A view into the famous shopping street 'Kärnterstraße'

The Spanish Riding School ranks, along with the famous Sachertorte and the Viennese Choir Boys, as one of Vienna's great tourist attractions. In the sixteenth century the horses, originally from Spain, were trained under the Habsburgs to perform elegant steps. The foals are black or mousy in colour and between the age of seven and ten develop a white coat.

From the age of three they are trained for performances that sometimes seem like a Viennese waltz.

The Lipizzaner stables, a fine three-storey renaissance building with courtyard on the Josefspatz, are in need of renovation. A project, supported by the City of Vienna, has come up with an imaginative plan for raising funds. Over the summer it will be possible to sponsor a Lipizzaner. These are not real horses but artistic models that are on show near tourist attractions in downtown Vienna. They are impossible to miss since they are life-size models and boast brightly painted colours.

KarlsKirche: Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was 60 when he started building this church dedicated to St Charles Borromeo, following a vow by Emperor Karl IV during the plague epidemic of 1713. ...

... Von Erlach began work on the building in 1716; his son completed it in 1737. It is unquestionably the finest Baroque church in the capital.

Hiking in Perchtoldsdorf (4. Nov. 2003)

Despite the turbulent developments of this century, the medieval town center of Perchtoldsdorf has been preserved and the central castle and church precinct, with its free-standing late-Gothic tower, from the gallery of which one has a magnificent panorama, ...

... is a favourite starting point for a tour of the market place with its Baroque plague column, the town hall dating back to the 15th century, beautiful old houses of wealthy citizens in Gothic and Renaissance style, many of them with delightful inner courtyards.

The forest in autumn.

On top of Parapluiberg ...

... with an overview of Vienna from the south.

In the Franz-Ferdinand Schutzhaus for lunch.

Mira's Birthday Party (8. Nov. 2003)

Natural History Museum & Christmas Market (20. Nov. 2003)

In front of the Natural History Museum: In display halls covering 8.700² metres the visitor can travel through our planet’s history, through the breathtaking diversity of nature and back to the origins of our culture.

View of the roof of the Museum.

At the Christmas Market in front of the City Hall: The aromas of candied fruits, cotton candy and other delicacies like Christmas punch and roasted chestnuts wafting around the small wooden market stalls still retain their magical power.

While children warm their hands on paper bags containing hot chestnuts, parents can sip their mulled wine and ponder on the way that the Christmas market has retained all of its childhood fascination.

Dinner in a typical Austrian Restaurant ("Heurigen")