Vienna 2013: St Stephens Cathedral, State Opera, NashMarkt

One of the most popular attractions in Vienna is St. Stephen's Cathedral.  It was first built in 1137 in honour of Saint Stephen, known as the first Christian martyr. It was significantly renovated into the Gothic style in 1469 by Austrian Emperor Rudolf  IV, who also added the huge South tower at 445 feet to rival a cathedral built by his father-in-law Charles IV.  He wanted to build an even larger North tower, but ran out of money before it could be completed.  The roof has over 230,000 tiles, with a design that was based on a carpet pattern. 

St. Stephen's Cathedral is seen as a symbol of stability and hope for Austrian people, since through the centuries, it has survived numerous invasions, world wars, and civil wars but is still standing.  There are many numerology symbols within the church.  Decorative art motifs and architectural features and dimensions are depicted in combinations of the number three for the Holy Trinity and four for the common people.  An example of this can be found in the circular designs on the pulpit staircase, which alternates between three and four spokes.  On the hand rail, stone carvings of lizards and toads represent the battle between good and evil, while a stone dog stands guard at the the top of the bannister.

It was interesting to hear about the cathedral's role during the Second World War.  On October 7, 1938, 10,000 people gathered to protest the German occupancy.  Cardinal Innitzer's sermon reminded his people that "There is just one Fuhrer: Jesus Christ".  Fearing bombing during the war, all the moveable arts and treasures were hidden in the catacombs, while unmovable objects like the pulpit were covered with bricks.  St. Stephens did not end up being bombed but still suffered damages when civilians looted and burned the stores in the area just before the end of the war.  The fire burned down much of the church and caused the collapse of the roof.  Luckily, because of the precautions taken against bombing, most of the treasures were preserved.

Although St.Stephens Cathedral is the most renowned because of its size and history, the interior of the nearby Baroque St. Peter's Parish Church is actually much more beautifully decorated.

The Vienna Statsoper (State's Opera House) was completed in 1869 in Neo-Renaissance style.  During World War II, American bombs destroyed a large portion of the opera house including the stage and auditorium.  These portions were rebuilt, but no longer reflected the grandeur and opulence of the original.  Seeing the main lobby, the auditorium and stage were a bit of a disappointment in comparison to the Opera Garnier in Paris or even in comparison to the Austrian Military Museum.

We were surprised to learn that the Opera House puts on a show 7 days a week and changes shows every day!  It sounded like a logistic nightmare to prepare new sets on a daily basis.  The design of the stage area helps to manage the set changes.  Sets for later acts of a show can be prepared ahead of time and stored either behind the action of the deep stage, or in storage areas below the stage.  Hydraulic lifts can noiselessly bring up sets in less than 45 seconds.  The Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra provides the musical accompaniment for the shows.  Tickets range from 200 Euros for the best seats to 8 Euros for last minute standing room only viewing.

As the tour progressed, we were taken to areas that had not been destroyed by fire.  We finally got a glimpse of the former splendor of the Opera House.  Here, we could see high ceilings decorated with gold leaf, a grand marble staircase, huge frescoes and reliefs, full-sized allegorical sculptures representing the arts, and busts of famous composers who performed in the venue.  In the Tapestry Hall, floor to ceiling works depict scenes from Mozart's The Magic Flute.  There were many tributes to composer and conductor Gustav Mahler, who was influential during his tenure as the director of the Vienna Statoper, or the Vienna Court Opera as it was known in his time.

The Vienna Secession was a movement formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian painters, sculptors, and architects led by Gustav Klimt.  It was a rebellion against the conventional Baroque tastes in arts and architecture that was common to Vienna at that time.  The Secession Exhibition Hall was designed by Joseph Olbrich in accordance to the new architectural styles of the movement and is noticeably different from the more traditional buildings around it.  It served as a showcase area for the works of Secessionist artists like Klimt, Koloman Moser, Joseph Hoffman and others.  The motto written above the entrance translates to "To every age its art, to every art its freedom".

The NaschMarkt is an outdoor market and restaurant area that has covered stalls lined up for several blocks on end.  Everything from fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, pastries, clothing, and trinkets are on sale.  The plentiful dining options range from fast street food to full service restaurants.  On Saturdays, there is a flea market.

Across the street from the NaschMarkt are some beautifully decorated buildings of various styles.  There was the traditional Baroque building with the columns carved into giant sculptures who look like they are keeping the walls from falling over.  Examples of this type of architecture can be found throughout the Inner Stradt of Vienna.  The buildings that really stood out were a couple of Art Nouveau designs by Otto Wagner, who was closely associated with the Secessionists.  The facade of the structure at address Linke Wienzeile #40
was decorated with red flowers, while the one at #38 is covered with golden ornaments and features bronze sculptures of women who appear to be calling out to us with their hands to their mouths.