Guess: Palace, Church, or Castle?

This week’s edition of “Palace, Church, or Castle?” is sponsored by my weekend trip to Vienna and Bratislava (and of course, readers like you).

Exhibit #1:

The answer is, in fact, a church. Issy and I took advantage of a four day weekend to go up to Vienna to visit another teaching assistant, Katie. When we arrived in the afternoon, Katie was gracious enough to take us to see this evening site:  Karlskirche, which is sometimes said to be the most beautiful baroque church in the city. It was even prettier, I thought, with night falling just behind it.

Exhibit #2:

And it is…a castle! Despite the rain, Issy, Katie, and I grabbed an early bus to Bratislava on Saturday morning. With just 79 kilometers between them, the Slovakian city and Vienna are the two closest capitals in the world–which made it easy for us to take a day trip. We began our time there with a walking tour. One of the highlights of the tour was Bratislava Castle, pictured above. The gorgeous white building overlooks the city and the Danube river, and even used to house the crown jewels of Hungary. We also learned about some other cool features of the city, including a statue in the main square that is said to keep an eye on the government workers through the window. If ever they should be disloyal to the people, the statue will turn his back on them. Slovakia, therefore, our guide joked, must have the best government ever!

Exhibit #3:

Though vastly different in style from Exhibit #1, this one is also a church. One of Bratislava’s claims to fame, this was not on our tour, but we wanted to make time for it anyway. So after a delicious Slovakian lunch (I had creamy chicken stew with  potato dumplings), we sought out this sky blue gem. And I fell in love with it–the color and design is so enchanting, I could see why it had been dubbed worthy of a deity.

After seeing the church, we needed a bit more respite from the dreary weather, so we got hot chocolates from a cafe. Except liquid chocolate might be a better description–the creamy, decadent dessert that was brought out to us resembled something from a chocolate fountain more than it did the classic beverage. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Europe, it’s that hot chocolate takes many forms (and none are disappointing!)

Though we soon after boarded the bus and left one capital behind us, we still had two full days to take advantage of the capital closer to home. On Sunday, Issy and I decided to see what Vienna’s reputation was all about by visiting the Haus der Musik to learn about the place’s long, melodious history. Not only did the museum detail the lives of artists such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss, it also offered an interactive rendition of your name using Mozart’s pieces, as well as the chance to try your hand at conducting the Philharmonic.

The other main Sunday activity was a happy reunion with our former Vienna hostess, Meg (also a teaching assistant). We ate dinner together at a Thai restaurant (Issy and I were excited to take advantage of the wide array of dining that a big city can offer) and chatted about life in and out of the schools.

Exhibit #4:

By process of elimination, you’ve probably realized that this one is the palace. But this is also the daily double, because it functions as a museum, too. Known as Belvedere, this Viennese sight is where the famous painting The Kiss by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt is kept. We didn’t get a glimpse of the well-known work, preferring to wander outside and enjoy the free art: stunning architecture and colorful flowers in the gardens. It was a nice start to our Monday morning.

Bonus:

We ended our whirlwind trip not at a palace, church, or castle, but something else very Austrian indeed–the Easter markets! Lesser known than their Christmas counterparts, the spring markets are still very beautiful, with lots of hand crafted religious figures and delicately painted Easter eggs on display (as well as, of course, various foods and Glühwein). Since we never made it to Vienna during December, I was really glad we got to see these.

After a weekend of palaces, castles, and churches, my little Judenburg apartment felt modest. Yet despite a lack of grandiose, it has two great charms: the ability to sleep in a comfy bed and the opportunity to cook and enjoy home cooked food, each of which I did upon returning yesterday. In any case, I won’t stay in one place for long!

(Thanks to our tour guide Vojto with Discover Bratislava in Slovakia for providing the information about the capital and its buildings!)