Haoda and Ava in District.9

In this picture, the area bounded by the red lines is the 9th district of Vienna, Alsergrund. It is located north of the first district. When we first went there, we found the houses here are really regular and normal. According to the online resources, those are government-built housing.  It is a very peaceful area without too many people and cars. I think this is because many departments of University of Vienna are located here. This district also associated with many notable names of Viennese art and science. Here is the birthplace of Romantic composer Franz Schubert and Berggasse 19 is the former house and office of Sigmund Freud from 1891 to 1938, when he was expelled from Vienna. There is a Sigmund Freud Museum in his former house, which is on the second floor in an old building.

Having read a lot of Freud, it is mysterious for us to visit the old place of the antecedent of psychology. His place was occupied by Nazi army during the WW2 and later by local tenants. Though most of the furniture and collection were gone, Anna Freud, the offspring of Sigmund Freud, contributed Sigmund’s museum by donating. Stepped into his old house, we saw the famous waiting hall for his patience. We are also able to closely examine some of his old objects like suitcase, walking stick and hat in the hall. Freud’s hobbies are famous. Traveling, smoking cigar and reading. In the exhibition room hanged the writing of him from postcards, letters and travel journals. From this collection we can tell his zeal about traveling. He had been traveling to Italy more than ten times during his lifetime. For him, Italy was the origin of myths, the center of human civilization.

In his living room stands the collection of Sigmund Freud. He is fascinated by collecting antiques. His collection ranged from Roman relics to ancient Chinese sculptures. He thought from investigating the old he could be able to tell the true of human thoughts. On the wall hanged his certification of Honor Citizen of Vienna which was given to him for his outstanding accomplishment in psychoanalysis. Unfortunately due to the unrest society and the frequent house moving of Freud, no more history was left in this house. He escaped from this dark house into another place in courtside for his mental sickness.

Delaney and Hamda take on Donaustadt!

We decided back in Seattle that we wanted explore the 22^nd district because it was the furthest away, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Thirty minutes and two U-bahn transfers later, we arrived in our district – Donaustadt. The first thing we noticed was the diversity, we had nearly forgotten Vienna being a city of royalty, was also a city of immigrants. Knowing the best way to explore Donauinsel was by bicycle, we set out to find a place to rent one. The Donau was absolutely breathtaking, if you looked close enough you could see some of the rocks submerged in water and cloaked in seaweed.

Donaustadt is a perfect place to go if you want to get out of the city but not actually leave the city. There were children playing soccer, people flying kites, or just lazing about eating ice cream. After finally finding a bicycle rent shop and trying to remember the German word for “rent”, we were flying past the pedestrian crowds. Peddling across a variety of terrains, we saw breathtaking views of hills with castles and vineyards. There’s something about bicycling on a beautiful afternoon with nothing else planned but coffee and cake afterwards that puts our souls at ease. A fairly large island, we biked for an hour in one direction before relaxing in a meadow and turning back to our original location. We both wondered how cold the Donau was, so we stopped and briefly stuck our hands in. It was refreshingly warm after experiencing the icy waters of the Puget Sound.

Before we returned to the rent shop, we noticed a man lying in a grassy patch next to the river. We wondered if he was wearing beige colored pants. We found out the hard way that he was not wearing beige colored pants but that he was in fact very much naked. If this had happened in a park in Seattle we would have already been on the phone with the police reporting a man flashing innocent bicyclists. But because this is Vienna, we took it in stride and tried to burn the image out with delicious cake.

 After we returned our bikes, we stopped at a café to enjoy Wiener Eis Kaffee and Schoko-Crème Torte. Sitting at our table, we observed both the Viennese and their dogs. We noticed that Viennese dogs only come in two sizes – super super large or absolutely tiny. Because we visited the island on a Friday afternoon, we were able to witness the Viennese relaxing after a long workweek and before the many Easter festivities.

 So if you wish to relax away from the city and take in the breathtaking Viennese scenery, we highly recommend journeying to Donaustadt. But be forewarned, your visit may or may not include nudity.

16th District: Ottakring

16^thDistrict Ottakring

Although we had already realized how diverse Vienna is, arriving in Ottakring district we were surprised to find out the extend of culture diversity in this district. As soon as we stepped out of the U-bahn at the Josephstädter station, we could tell this district was not like the other we had visited. The streets were transited and full of life and the sound of other languages contributed to the experience, and ultimately was what gave this district its particular character.  This district is home to some 97,000 residents and the Ottakring Braurei.

Brunnenmarkt

The Brunnenmarkt, which runs along Brunnengasse on the eastside of the district offers a culmination of produce and products, both local and imported.  The produce that is offered at the market stands reflects the culinary needs of the local diverse population.  There is seemingly a broad selection of anything from cheeses, spices, fruits, vegetables, and meats, from all over Europe and Asia.  The Brunnenmarkt does not appear to represent itself as a main tourist landmark. Its easy to understand that the relationship between merchant and costumer was pretty casual; as most customers must be local and frequent the stands regularly throughout the week.

Yppenplatz

As the stands of the Brunnenmarkt stop, we

 arrive at the Yppenplatz, where our

exploration concluded. This square just at

the end of the market along Brunnengasse.

 The Kebab stands that are located at the end

of the market, transition smoothly into Yppenplatz, where restaurants and cafés serve

traditional Viennese and European foods. The restaurants, cafés and bars embrace the

Eastern side of the Platz with a neighboring park and playground just on the westside.  This

Area offers the locals a place to spend the afternoon, whether by relaxing at a café or playing

 soccer with friends at the courts. 

By: Isaiah Morris and Michael Carrizosa

 

 

 

 

District 8 Josephsstadt

We explored Josephsstadt this week and it was really pretty. Josephsstadt is the smallest district in Vienna and it is very quiet and calm compared to other districts I have been to in Vienna. We ate lunch in a cafe and had traditional Viennese food. The goulash was delicious. It was exciting ordering food in German from the waiter. It is always fun to try out my German outside of the class room. Cafes in Vienna are so relaxed, the waiters never try to rush you out once you have finished eating, which is really nice and much different than in the US. We walked around the district and went window shopping. The district is very residential, most of the buildings are beautiful Baroque style apartment buildings. However, the shops in Josephsstadt are mostly small mom and pop specialty stores which were really fun to explore. Most of the stores in the more touristy areas of Vienna are large multinational chain stores which are not nearly as special as the small family run stores I found in Josephsstadt. We went into a beautiful very small candy store that was selling the cutest easter candy. There were marzipan rabbits, beautiful chocolate flowers, and all sorts of rainbow colored gummy candy. It was really fun to look at all the speciality chocolates and truffles. We also went into a family run toy store that sold carved wooden toys. The toys were very cute and whimsical. We also went into a small bookstore. It was so small it could only fit three people comfortably, but it was absolutely crammed with german novels. I bought a small book of Goethe poetry about flowers. It is all in German and I am hoping by the end of the three months in Vienna I will be able to read and understand the poetry.
We also went into three different churches. I am amazed by the number of beautiful churches and cathedrals throughout Vienna. Every church I go into is so extravagant and there seems to be an uncountable number of churches in the city. My favorite church we went into was Maria-Treu-Kirche. It was not what I was expecting from the outside. The church was decorated in a Baroque style, it had curved ceilings with intricately carved molding and gold leaf. The pulpit was covered entirely in gold leaf. The ceiling of the church has beautiful frescoed ceilings depicting biblical scenes. It was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been inside. We were the only people inside the church and it was really cool to be able to look at all the details of the church in quiet without being rushed. Some of the other larger touristy churches I've visited were so filled with people it was hard to appreciate all the details.
We ate cupcakes at a beautiful small mom and pop style cupcake store. The cupcakes were covered in beautiful frosting and they were delicious. It was the perfect way to end the exploration.

Simmering: District 11

11th District Crest

District 11, known as Simmering, is located in Southeastern Vienna.
To get there from the fourth district. Board the U1 at the Südtiroler Platz and change trains at Stephansplatz, boarding the U3. Our trip took us to the Zentralfriedhof, located on the edge of the district.

Once on the U3, take it all the way to the end of the line. Exit the station, hop on a tram heading Southeast, and the Straßenbahn stops at four of the many gates to the cemetery.

Upon descending from the Strassenbahn we were met with the sight of the tall brick walls of the Zentralfriedhof, which have been standing for nearly 150 years.

Map of the Districts of Vienna,
Simmering is bolded

The northwest corner of the graveyard, where we entered, is home to the nearly 80,000 Jews interred on the grounds. A lightly maintained grass pathway leads through the weather-worn Jewish tomb stones. A majority of the graves are completely overgrown by wild brambles and tall grass, hinting that the descendents of the buried most likely moved away from Vienna over the years.
   
As we wandered further along the grassy pathway, taking an endless number of turns, we began to see Jewish tombstones that have been completely destroyed, headstones toppled over, and ivy growing over the monuments to the departed. Rubble is all that remains of hundreds of stones, owing to their destruction during Kristallnacht in 1938.

As we walked further through the rows and rows of overgrown graves. The undergrowth began to clear and and the trees started to thin. Emerging from the trees we stumbled into a different section of the cemetery.

Here the headstones were packed tightly together. They were clean and ordered in rows that you could see over. Countless graves in row upon neat row.

The contrast between the two sections of the Zentralfriedhof were startling. In the Jewish section there was an oppressive feel amongst the graves, with the untamed grass, destroyed grave markers, wildly growing trees and creeping ivies. While this newer section, a Christian section, was ordered and clear, with more open spaces. Beyond that though was the noticeable difference in the age of the is part of the cemetery.

Aerial shot the center of the Zentralfriedhof,
the Jewish section we were in
is off the photo on the right hand side

Where the Jewish section had familial plats from the 1800s, while the majority of the markers in this section were from the early to mid-twentieth century. The Jewish section we were in is listed on maps as the Alter jüdischer Friedhof. We didn't realize that there was another Jewish section on the other end of the graveyard until later.

Wandering through this rows of names and families, we stumbled upon a collection of well known graves on the central street of the Zentralfriedhof.

Right before the Karl-Borromäus-Kirche in a section all to themselves are the graves of great Austrian Musicians, like Schubert, Mozart, and Beethoven, surrounded by other great Austrian thinkers, explorers and engineers.

Walking from the grove of graves, towards the Karl-Borromäus-Kirche, we found the crypt of Austrian Federal Presidents in front of the Kirche, where the Austrian Federal Presidents have been laid to rest.

The church itself was quiet and large, devoid of noise, much like the cemetery itself. Completed at the turn of the twentieth century, during the latter years of Franz-Joseph's reign.

As we made our way out of the church, down the main road and eventually left the graveyard, our legs were getting so tired that even stepping onto the tram was a exhausting. We were so distracted by the thousands of tombs that we had not realized just how much we had walked and still had only managed to see portions of the graveyard.

In total the graveyard covers 2.4 square kilometers, making it the second largest in all of Europe. A saying even exists at Zurich's expense..."Halb so groß wie Zürich - aber doppelt so lustig ist der Wiener Zentralfriedhof! (half the size of Zurich and twice as much fun). This comes from the fact that its total area is only half the size of Zurich, but "population" is twice that of Zurich.

   

Once four large Gas tanks, Gasometer is now a shopping,
 housing, and entertainment complex

Other things to see in Simmering:

Simmering is not all doom and gloom, there are many other sites of interest.

Gasometer is home to a shopping mall, an entertainment complex, and housing. There is even if that floats your boat.

Schloss Neugebäude is the former hunting lodge of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II and offers an amazing look back into history.

- By Brendan Anderson and Hiram Munn

District 4, Wieden - Exploration Blog (Julia Lister/James Böker)

      This was a nice district to explore as it is the district we live in. So we kind of lucked out that we didn't have to travel to the ends of the ubahn lines to get to the far out districts! But the interesting thing about the various districts of Vienna is over time they have changed, however since the end of the Second World War for the most part they have stayed constant. After the end of WWII the city of Vienna was divided among the allied forces, similar to what happened in Berlin, Germany. The 4th district, Wieden, came under the control of the Soviet Union during this occupational time, and even today it is still very evident. Our district is full of communist style architecture and communal housing.

     Within the 4th district there is the Belvedere Palace, the site that we decided to choose for the exploration as it was the most appealing.

     The Palace is amazingly well kept, and the grounds and gardens are beautiful. The palace grounds span almost the entire length of the district and are a popular spot for tourists and site-seers. As the warmer weather approaches the palace gardens will start to bloom and new flowers will be planted making the site even more gorgeous and appealing than it is now. The palace gardens and grounds are home to multiple fountains, a large central tiered waterfall, and various statues giving it a majestic and imperial feel when strolling through. This only adds to the actual architecture of the palace itself, styled in the Baroque style. The palace has two parts, the upper and lower palace, both beautifully laden with baroque styling and intricacies. Overall it is a beautiful palace to see in Vienna, and next to the Shonbrunn, it is one of the best in the city.

     We were unable to actually take a tour of the palace itself and learn about the history behind it but I am sure we will make it there and do the actual tour sometime soon.

 

 The Upper Palace.

2nd District: Leopoldstadt

Welcome One And All! 

Welcome To The Magical Mystery Virtual Tour Edition of the 2nd District

By: Irina Bobrik & Marina Oldfin

Leopoldstadt is the name of the 2nd district, which is originally named after the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I. Leopoldstadt is also known as the "island district", for the entire district does not actually border Ringstrasse - it lies on an "island" between the Donau Canal and the Donau River. This district is known for its large Jewish community, therefore this district has yet another name: Mazzeinsel (Matzo Island). There are many kosher restaurants and grocery stores in the district, as well as synagogues. Due to the lower real estate prices, the district attracts many immigrants and students. During the 17th century through 1940's came from the Jewish community in the 2nd district, famous people like Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, and Theodor Herzl. The 2nd district is also home to Vienna's most famous boarding school: the Vienna Boys Choir!

The district land used to be used as the imperial hunting grounds, consisting of woods, meadows, as well as an amusement park. The reformist Emperor Joseph II opened this district to the public in the 18th century. Now the district hold the amusement park, a golf course, 2 horse racing courses ( the Trabrennbahn Krieau and the Galopprennbahn Freudenau). There are also a lot of parks for walking, jogging, and strolling with pets/people! 

The site that we chose to give you all a virtual tour on is the lovely Prater Amusement Park!

The Riesenrad at the Prater Amusement Park!

One of the biggest attractions at the park, located at its entrance, is the historical Wiener Riesenrad, built in 1897 by Walter Bassett Bassett. This Riesenrad was built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I. It towers over the park at 64.75m (212ft) tall and weighing over 430 tons! In the year 1916 there was a permit drafted for the demolition of the wheel but due to lack of funding, they ended up letting it stand. Originally, the wheel had 30 gondolas but after WWII and reconstruction, the wheel only has 15 gondolas remaining. This famous Ferris Wheel has been featured in big blockbuster films such as The Third Man(1949), Scorpio(1973), and the James Bond film: The Living Daylights(1987)!

It is only 9 euros to ride the Riesenrad and to enjoy a beautiful view of the city of Vienna! However if you are feeling romantic, you can rent out a gondola for a magical romantic candlelight dinner starting at only 210 euros/hour!!! The Riesenrad features two main Luxuswaggons: the Kaiserwaggon, andloclocated. f you look hard enoughbilaeumswaggon for your dining pleasure! You can choose to eat from a variety of delicacies in your Luxuswaggons, such as Schinkenplatte with Austrian Cheeses, Praline aus Gemuese and Kraetersalat on Zwiebelmarmelade, Rindfleischsuppe, and more!!

A wonderful sign welcoming us to the Prater Amusement Park!!

As we ventured out of the U-bahn station, we were greeted into the park by this lovely sign (as shown above)! 

This is EXACTLY where the 2nd District is located in the world!!!

To the right of the entrance of the Prater Amusement Park is the Vienna Zeiss Planetarium! Outside the building was a giant globe, so we decided that this was our chance to really show everyone where exactly this amusement park is located. If you look hard enough you can probably even see the Riesenrad!! It is only 8 euros to get into the planetarium and to view the stars!!!!

The classical colorful carousel!!!!

Throughout the amusement park there are many rides to go on. Above you see a quaint carousel made for little children to ride. They had another carousel in the park for adults and children, however it was run by real horses/ponies!!

The daunting dangerous delightful dinosaurs!!!!!

Here we have a dinosaur themed roller coaster (they made real dinosaur noises too!!!)

The magical dreamy mystical disorienting Magic Dreamland!!!!!!  (Fun house)

We found the giant house elves and a mini dementor playing a flute!!!!!!! (Closed when we were there...not exactly sure what kind of ride it is...)

The Praterturm!!!!!!!!

This is the other main attraction here at the Prater Amusement Park: the Praterturm!! It it the tallest swing carousel ride IN THE WORLD!!! It towers over the world at 117m (383ft) and weighs over 200tons! This turm was a recent addition to the park on May 1st, 2010. Irina was brave enough to actually go on this ride!! It offers a glorious view of the city of Vienna as well, and does not go as fast as on might fear!

The mini swing carousel in motion!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for taking this magical mystery virtual tour with us!! We had an amazing experience in our district. Hope you all have a chance to visit the Prater Amusement Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!