Art's vacation blog: Mar 2008 -Vienna, Prague and Budapest

My central Europe cultural trip finally took place when I flew from Anchorage to Vienna in mid March of 2008 for 2 and a half weeks of sightseeing, music and opera. My 1st stop, Vienna was a delight and I stayed at a small hotel right in the heart of the city. I walked the entire core of the city for about 4 days, with the highlight being an evening at the famed Vienna State Opera and a wonderful performance of Puccini's La Boheme . I also had another enjoyable music evening of all Strauss and Mozart in the Kursalon Hall near the city center. I did not forget to take a break in the sun at the well known sidewalk cafe across from the Opera house for expresso and the famed Sacher Torte, a chocoholics delight :-) The city, its parks, public buildings and churches were lovely. The immense St. Stephens Cathedral and the Votive Church were highlights.

My Goldener Baer hotel in the heart of Vienna

The Votive Church

Immense St. Stephens Cathedral interior

Busy pedestrian & sidewalk cafes-Graben area downtown Vienna

about to sample the famous Sacher torte across from Vienna Opera House

World famous Vienna Opera House

National History Museum

Franz Joseph near fronrt of the Hofburg Palace

Beautiful and huge, the Hofburg Palace

Then I was off to the central rail station and a several hours train trip out of Austria and the length of the Czech Republic to wondrous Prague. Again , I had a charming small hotel not far from the cities main shopping street. The excellent metro and trams made it very easy to get around. Prague is a truly wonderful city to visit. The Vltava River and its most famous Charles Bridge are highlights to view. Prague's heart is the old town center with its narrow streets and its most photographed Clock Tower, and the main Old Town Square with its historic buildings and the Tyn and St. Nicolas churches. Finally,a must see is the most visited and visible Prague Castle high on the hilltop just above the Charles Bridge. I had a 4 night musical delight. On the evening of March 13th, I heard the Prague Royal Orchestra in the Smetna Hall. On March 15th I was lucky to get opera tickets to see the Prague State Opera perform Aida at the Prague Opera Hall near the National Museum. On March 16th I saw the Mozart operas The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Fute performed in the stunningly beautiful and ornate Prague National Theatre on the rivers edge. A 4th night on March 17th, I was able to enjoy the Czech Philharmonic in the well known Rudolfinum Hall on the edge of the river. All in all, it was a delightful, busy 5 day stay.

The Vltava River and its famous Charles Bridge

Pedestrians on the Charles Bridge with the Prague Castle on the hill in the back

Start of Prague "Old Town" near end of Charles Bridge

Typical street scene in Old Town

Staromestske Square and the Tyn Church behind

St Nicolas Church on Prague "Old Town" Square

Old Town Tower and famous Astronomical Clock

Always busy pedestrian Vaclavske square with National Museum up at end.

One of the countless sausage and food carts in Prague

Prague's Ludmila Church

St Vitus Cathedral in the Prague Castle complex at the top of the hill

Within the Prague Castle complex, Old Royal Palace

View from Prague Palace on hill across Charles Bridge toward Old Town

Another view of Old Royal Palace

famous old music hall, the Rudolfinum , home of the Czech Phiharmonic

Prague's Municipal House

Yours truly before viewing a performance in the ornate, gilded National Theatre

My next leg was a train ride once again the length of the Czech Republic into Slavakia , with a stop in Bratislava, and then on into Hungary for a 4 day stay in Budapest. There I again had a pleasant small hotel right in the city center and only a block off the start of the wonderful pedestrian only Vaci street, the main shopping street thru central Budapest. The highlights were many. I tried out the famous Hungarian Szechenyi spa bath complex at the edge of the Danube across from downtown. The shops and restaurants were a real treat to experience. I also spent one day across the river up on the hilltop touring the famous Royal Palace complex and grounds high above the city. The 1st construction started in the 1200's It was a wondrous sight and was reached by a funicular rail lift from the rivers edge to the complex on the top of the hill. The view onto downtown Budapest and the famous Parliament buildings on the edge of the Danube across the river was unforgettable. It was hard to believe this vibrant city had been nearly destroyed at the end of WW II and now showed no signs of the devastation. I was very fortunate and heard the touring Bamberg Symphony Orchestra concert in the Palace of Arts glittering new Bela Bartok Concert Hall on the edge of the Danube at the south edge of the downtown. Another treat was to wander through the huge Central Market Hall ( originally built in 1896 ) with an amazing array of stalls, selling nearly everything. It seemed sausages and meats were the most common the things for sale, and was like a huge Pike Street Market under one roof. Another evening I got to hear a Puccini Opera, Edgar, in the ornate old Budapest Opera House dating from 1884. So you can see, my central Europe sight seeing and cultural trip was a huge success and an unforgettable and rewarding experience.