Salzburg

The name reminds us that once salt(Salz) played a more prominent role in daily life.

Pic. 1-10. We started being introduced by our hostess, Lilian Gendo and her sister Lucy to Mirabell, a vast garden amidst museums and historical buildings.

Pic. 11-23. Then we crossed the Salzach river on the way to the center of the city, the shops, Mozart's house, konditorei's, the coffee shops. We had coffee at a venerable Tomacelli's and shopped at the famous Getreidegasse and arrived at the Dom surrounded by medieval buildings.

Pic. 24-33. We take a look at often very traditional shops, beginning with a special christmas shop and konditorei's . We cross the river again and end at a beautiful park just outside Mirabell.

Pic. 34-40. The night pictures were taken from the Schloss, a white castle on top of one of the surrounding hills reachable through a funicular. More pictures from other sites and streets.

Pic. 41-46. Scenes from the Mönchsberg offering a panorama of Salzburg.

Pic. 47-49. Hellbrün, palace of a Prince Archbishopl obsessed with fountains and other aquatic animations set in spacious parklands just outside Salzburg.

Tip: Taste the Schnitzels in town and enjoy cakes and pastry in one of the cofeeshops. Use the bus and leave your car at the hotel.

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Salzburg Mönchsberg

The Museum der Moderne (MdM) Salzburg located on the Mönchsberg hills overlooking Salzburg had a prominent exhibition as of July 2007 of contemporary Chinese Art.

A series of pictures from the Mah Jong exhibition of "the most comprehensive and renowned private collection of contemporary Chinese Art" belonging to the Swiss Ulli Sigg and his wife Rita.

The first picture is the entrance at the foot of the hill, it's an ordinary elevator. The exhibition is presented on a space of appr. 2300 square meters. The exhibited pieces have been collected before the China hype and have now achieved icon status. The Sigg collection charts a path through the development of Chinese Art during the past thirty years, with all it's references to the country's culture, political history and socio-political situation.

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Vienna

Thanks to the hospitality of the family Gendo we had access to their appartment right in the centre of the city, besides the Kettenbrückengasse Metro station conveniently on the U4 line between center (Karlplatz) and Schönbrunn.

Pic.1-3. Saturday market right in front of the Fam. Gendo appartment. The beautifully adorned appartments in the background are called Wagner appartments (Otto Wagner 1899) in Jügendstille or art noveau style.

Pic. 4-7 The Hundertwasserhaus bulit by another reknown Viennese builder and architect Hundertwasser, born Stowasser (1928) died 71 years old in 2000, His buildings have no straight lines, inspired by Gaudi and Jugendstil.

Pic. 8-29 Schloss Schönbrunn. One of the most important legacies of Austria and a Unesco World Heritage site. A Baroque palace with 1441 rooms. Built in 1692 a few years after Viennna was burned down by the Turks. The first picture shows the Gloriette (gate and monument) on the far end of the palace area looking down from a hill. There are so many sites (a zoo, other palaces etc.) to see that one needs at least a whole day to see everything. We ended with a demo (almost last pic) on how to bake apfelstrüdel. Almost 6.7 million visitors come annually. The palace is associated with the (last monarchy) Habsburger reign and also resided by Sissi, the wellknown empress from the Sissi movie-tv serial starring Romy Schneider.

Tip: Use a bustour for orientation and then choose whatever you like. Should you choose Schönbrunn come early (9.00) to avoid the queues and plan at least half a day to see and walk around.Taste the Schnitzels, Wienerwald rest. here and enjoy cakes, pastry and coffee in one of the cofeeshops. Either the very old or on a terrace e.g. Stephanplatz and watch the world pass by. There are more museums than you have days reserved for ! Get a 24 or more hours card and use the bus-metro-sbahn and leave your car at the hotel. Right in front of the townhall there is an international foodcourt.

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Budapest

Our first time in Eastern-Europe in this beautiful architectural city reminding us of Paris and Prague.

Pic. 1-14. In the first pictures we're enjoying the sites from the Royal Palace compound overlooking the Duna river. On the other bank is the famous Parliament building.

Pic. 15-19. from our executive room at the Novotel we had a grand view on one of the busiest viaducts and passthrough's of Budapest.

Pic.20-24. I.M.H.O. resumably one of the most grand toilets in Budapest if not in Europe. At the Szépmüvészeti Museum in front of the Arch of Heroes, Hözök Tere (Pic. 25-26).

I mainly took Video in this city.

Tip: Use trams and metro with a 24 or more Budapestcard. Tramline nr. 2 traverses the Duna river right in the centre district. There are new malls if you can find them. Don't forget to take your swimming gear with you, you might be near a spa, there are several.

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