Monday, 01-July-2024
After emerging from the endlessly ornamented underground crypts of the Hapsburgs, I felt like I needed a bit of opulence to make up for the sudden lack of decadence.
I set my sights on the Natural History Museum – the twin to the Art History museum, one that I expected to fully satiate my need for incredibly ornamented beauty. On the way, though, I found their equal – or even their better, if you’re interested in gothic architecture over baroque.
St Stephen’s Cathedral, a landmark of soaring gothic buttresses and spires.
I… uhh… I explored it. Went in, looked around, took some photos… I mean, it’s a cathedral, but it didn’t have an unexpected concert going on, so I didn’t really have much reason to stay too long. There were some beautiful paintings, of course, but… well, I wandered, explored, and moved on.
Now, to be clear, I could have explored much further. There were catacombs and tombs, from what I could gather, along with a bell tower that could be visited. All of those, though, required one to book a tour… which only ran at certain times of the day.
For one reason or another, I was feeling a bit antsy. I wanted to walk, and to move, and to do my own thing on my own timetable. I avoided the tours, and set my sights on my next stop – relegating the various tours and options to my list of things to see the next time I visit Vienna.
