We had a total of three and a half days in Austria and we decided to spend our
second day in Schönbrunn Palace. This was my fourth
visit to Vienna and Schönbrunn is one of the places I just can't miss, I absolutely love its
grounds and the combination of hiking and sightseeing that they offer.
Although this was my fourth visit, there were certain places I still hadn't
visited - the Palm House, the Desert House and the Zoo. The Vienna Zoo is
huge and the visit to these three places, situated next to each other, took
us about five hours, a good part of our Vienna day - we had other plans for
the evening :)
The Palm House consists of three greenhouses and is total worth visiting. The
atmosphere is very serene and relaxing, with bird songs and other recorded
forest sounds, which transport you in the type of forest each greenhouse
represents.
If we didn't have a full day ahead of us, I could spend there hours, watching
the giant palms and blooming trees and listening to the bird songs.
The rhododendrons, camellia trees, jasmines were in full bloom and were simply
spectacular. The air was thick with intoxicating aromas, we couldn't stop
smelling the flowers, filling to the brim our nostrils with the sweet air of the
houses.
The queens of the Desert House were the giant tortoises
The
Schönbrunn zoo is definitely a place to visit at
least once in a lifetime. The animals are extremely well cared for, the place is
huge, with enough space for each animal, the visitor access to the animals is
well thought of, simultaneously safe, but close up enough, that one feels
engaged with the animals and their activities. And as is to be expected -
there's huge heaps of information, provided one is willing to read it :)
There is a round trail throughout the zoo, so that a visitor can see all the
animals, following the trail and return to the starting point, without
repeating his steps. The maps and signs are everywhere and it is very easy to
follow the route.
There are also plenty of rest places and bars and cafes for drinks and snacks,
as the whole trip does take time and effort.
I haven't been to many zoos around the world, art galleries are more my thing,
but this zoo might have changed my mind :) It was very interesting and
entertaining and I am very happy we decided to spend our day in Vienna there.
After the visit to the zoo, we went a little around the park, climbing to the
Gloriette and then back to the palace.
We definitely worked well that day for our delicious and nourishing Korean meal
in the evening :)
On our last half a day in Vienna, before our flight to Sofia, we decided to
visit the Donauinsel - an island on the Danube river, right in the heart of the
city, which is turned into a huge park. the island is long - some 25 km, but
narrow, probably 500 m max in width.
The river is live - we saw swans, ducks, seagulls and many other water birds.
As everything in Vienna, the park is made with a lot of thought for the comfort
and well-being of the citizens and guests of the city. One of the sleeves of the
river is designated for swimming, with platforms and lifebuoys at every several
meters. The lanes are for running and cycling and we saw plenty of people -
young and old, exercising under the mild March sun.
There's even a beach on the river and Gaby tells me, that it is a very popular
and beloved place, once the temperatures rise.
We had a nice long walk, had some quick lunch and headed directly to the
airport. Good-bye, Vienna, we'll come back soon :)
