Vienna, Austria

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 :)

Russe - the Little Vienna

According to many, Russe is the most European city in Bulgaria and it is often called "The little Vienna". I was in Russe at the end of September, but I was so busy with all kinds of other stuff, that I kept postponing my post about the unique architecture of Russe. After visiting and posting about the actual Vienna, it seemed only appropriate to finally publish my thoughts and photos about its more modest Bulgarian counterpart - Russe.

Like the capital of Austria, Russe is situated on the river Danube. It became an important economic and cultural center at the end of the ottoman rule of Bulgaria, when the town was declared the vilayet center of one of the largest provinces of the Ottoman empire - the Danube vilayet. Due to its favourable geographic location Russe was a pioneer city in the empire.

It soon became the seat of the diplomatic missions of many European countries and thus the city quickly established plentiful economic and cultural international connections and opened for the penetration of European culture.

The diplomatic missions remained in Russe long after the liberation of the country, when Russe was one of the largest cities in the newly independent Bulgaria. Its residents began to travel by steamboats to Vienna and other European cities and to send their children to study there. Russe became a cosmopolitan city, trade flourished and wealth was accumulated. Modern shops for clothes, furniture, musical instruments opened their doors.

During this period a lot of renowned architects and civil engineers arrived in Russe and left their mark on the architecture of the city. Hundreds of residential and public buildings were built in the neoclassical style, that was dominant in Europe at the time, combining elements of Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, etc. The most impressive of these is the Profit Building, a work by a Viennese architect, completed in 1902, with a magnificent facade and seven figures on its roof, symbols of art, science, trade, agriculture, crafts, defense and the free flight of the spirit.

Another architectural landmark of Russe - the bank of Simeonov brothers, built in 1895.

The History Museum is the oldest of the neoclassical buildings in Russe and the first administrative building in Bulgaria after the Liberation. It was completed in 1882 by design of another Viennese architect.

Although it was the end of September, the sun was very strong on the first day of my visit and the temperatures soared to 35-36C. On the next days the temperatures plummeted, unfortunately, and the days were cold, cloudy and rainy.

The Monument of Freedom, the work of the renowned Italian sculptor Arnoldo Dzoki, is the symbol of Russe and part of its coat of arms.

With its grand and beautiful river, green gardens and parks and unique buildings, Russe is truly a jewel of a city.