Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna

On February 16, 2021February 16, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria9 Comments

We saw many beautiful and historic buildings during our trip to Vienna, Austria, but the Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) was by far the most amazing. Even during winter, the grounds, fountains, and exterior of the palace are quite beautiful and seeing the palace is certainly a highlight of any visit to Vienna. During the time that we were there, they were preparing for a Christmas Market on the grounds of the palace, however it wasn’t set to open for another week. Since we went to several other markets in Vienna, that certainly wasn’t an issue.

We did the Grand Tour of the palace, which is an audio tour that takes you through forty of the magnificent rooms within. It was a cold and snowy Saturday, so we think a lot of people had the same idea as us to do something indoors as the lines were horrific as we snaked our way from room to room, but it did not lessen the grandeur of the lavish decorations and furniture. The history of the palace is a little overwhelming and there were a few surprises, such as Marie Antoinette having been the daughter of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, as well as Empress Maria Theresa both grew up in the palace.

There is no mistaking the similarity between Schönbrunn Palace and Versailles Palace. The palaces share many similarities and are both stunning in their beauty. Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring”, which couldn’t have been further than the weather the day we arrived, so we will definitely plan a return visit someday during the summer when the gardens are in full bloom and perhaps there are some rays of sunshine. We can’t complain about the weather too much, though, it may not have been perfect for sight-seeing, but it did make the Glühwein much more inviting 😀.

Unique Crafts at European Christmas Markets

On October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, France, GermanyLeave a comment

Other than the crowds, there isn’t much not to love about the Christmas markets that can be found throughout Europe. With beer, wine, savory food, and sweets, they will definitely leave you with your senses satisfied, but the main reason for going to the Christmas markets is to see the unique vendors selling interesting crafts. We found several items throughout our various visits to cities to bring home as a reminder of our time there.

Obviously we were limited on what we could buy without having to ship things home, so we did more “window shopping” than actual shopping. That didn’t stop us for enjoying some of the more unique items that could be found for sale in the markets. In fact, in many cases we had to take a photograph of the items just so that we could remember them better. This year will likely be far different than years past with large crowds and hundreds of vendors selling their items, but hopefully they will occur in some shape or form.

Colorful Details on the Holiday Figurines

We Bought a Mozart Luminary from this Vendor

You don’t have to live in Europe to enjoy European style Christmas markets. We have been to wonderful ones in Denver as well as Chicago and we’re sure that there are ones in most major cities, especially those with a heavy European influence.

Colorful Church Roofs

On February 28, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, Hungary, Photo Challenge14 Comments

Most of the cathedrals and churches have very colorful stained glass windows and ornate features, but the roofs themselves are fairly plain. In some cases, though, the roofs themselves are works of art. Both St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria and Matthias Church in Budapest, Hungary are excellent examples of that. They both have very colorful roofs with geometric designs that draw your eyes to them. It certainly makes for an interesting contrast to the stone walls of the churches themselves.