On Monday, we toured the Imperial Palace of the Hapsburg Empire. This palace which until 1918 was inhabited by the imperial family, was originally a castle built in the thirteenth century, was extended to a splendid residence in accordance with the increasing power of the Habsburgs and the expansion of their realm.
Today, the former private apartments of the imperial family in the Imperial Palace are open to the public. The tour provides good insight in the daily life of the monarchs. Emperor Franz Joseph and his Elisabeth lived here with their children and the entire royal household. From this location they represented the realm of the Habsburg and directed its politics.
We viewed the rooms for the officers of the imperial household, the large Audience Hall and the Conference Room, where ministers and the crown council held their meetings. The most interesting areas for us were the office of Emperor Franz Joseph as well as the living room and bedroom of his wife, numerous salons and an old-fashioned bathroom.
The rooms are in the Rococo style, with rich stucco work and valuable tapestries from Brussels (17th and 18th centuries), chandeliers made from Bohemian crystal and tiled stoves made from porcelain. The furniture, added in the nineteenth century, is in the Louis XV and Empire styles.
The Hapsburg dynasty built their empire through marriage rather than war. Emperors and empresses were encouraged to have as many children as possible and marriages were arranged with royalty from other countries as a way to expand the empire and cement alliances. Franz Joseph ruled the Austrian-Hungarian Empire for 68 years. He was a very hard working man, arising each day at 3:30 and beginning work at 5:30. Two to three times a week, private citizens could meet individually with the emperor about any issue. His wife, Elizabeth, was a very “mysterious” figure – often misunderstood during her life and became larger in death.
On Tuesday, we visited the Schonbrunn Palace (the summer home of the Hapsburg) located on the outer edge of Vienna. The Emperor Franz Joseph spent much of his time here. The size and splendor of both palaces are truly breathtaking. The Hapsburg Empire was very wealthy and nothing was spared in the decorating of this palaces. The interior is an orgy of frescoed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, huge mirrors and gilded ornaments. We took the grand tour and were able to view all 40 rooms that are open to the public. To give you an indication of its size, there are over 1,441 rooms in the palace. The Schonbrunn Palace was the site of a famous meeting of President Kennedy and Premier Khruschev in the early 60’s. In addition to the Palace, there are beautiful gardens located on the grounds.
During the evenings we have been exploring the city and sampling food in various street side cafes. Vienna is a very clean city and the people are very helpful and friendly. The mass transit system, like those found in many of the major European cities we have visited, is very efficient and easy to navigate. Most buildings and hotels are not air conditioned and despite temperatures in the mid to high 80’s, it is pleasant. Prices are certainly much higher than we see in Egypt and with the high value of the Euro vs. the Dollar, it seems expensive. A typical meal costs 12 Euro (around $18). Our hotel is located just a short walk from the main square in the historical center of Vienna.
