Self-guided walk through the Vienna Woods. Where to go from Vienna: A walk through the Vienna Woods Vienna Woods address
It’s not for nothing that the Vienna Woods is called “the lungs of Vienna.” He borrows 135 thousand. hectares of area in the immediate vicinity of the capital of Austria. This predominantly beech and oak grove has been recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.
But the Vienna Woods is famous not only for its trees. These are priceless historical, cultural, natural treasures, all kinds of legends and fairy tales, celebrities and historical figures who created the tales of the Vienna Woods. Some of them date back more than a millennium.
True, there were difficult times in the history of the Vienna Woods. So, after several devastating wars with Prussia in the mid-19th century, the Austrian treasury decided to improve its financial affairs by selling a quarter of all areas to the timber merchant Hirschl Moritz.
He, of course, immediately began to knock him out. This outraged the people. Former imperial army officer Joseph Schöffel managed to raise a wave of popular indignation through newspapers and, after two years of struggle, achieved the cancellation of this monstrous deal.
In 1873, the Vienna Woods was saved, and Schöffel himself made a remarkable career, first becoming a member of the Imperial Council, and from 1873 to 1882, the mayor of the town of Modling, located in the southern part of the Forest.
This town is famous for its wonderful views from its hills and the observation deck on the tower of the ancient Mödling fortress.
At one time, the fortress became a shelter for forest robbers. But by order of the emperor it was destroyed, thereby putting an end to robberies on local roads. Only the observation tower remains.
In addition, there are wonderful cafes and wine cellars where you can sit in the shade and coolness with a glass of local wine made from grapes grown in vineyards in the Viennese region.
The production of local wine has been known since the times of the ancient Romans. Wonderful wine is produced in the towns of Klosterneuburg, Perchtoldsdorf, Gumpoldskirchen, Bad Voeslau and Baden.
There are also many cozy restaurants and cafes, where in the evenings you can listen to live music while drinking light white wine.
Having driven just 10 km from Vienna, we find ourselves in the small ancient town of Stift Klosterneuburg, located in the northern part of the Forest.
If you wish, you can not only wander through the ancient streets and squares, but also visit the most famous Augustinian monastery, which was built more than 9 centuries ago.
Particularly impressive is the ancient Verdun altar, made using the enamel technique. It was created back in the 12th century by a real master, Nikolus Verdeni.
Or you might find yourself near a small medieval castle, built in the first half of the 12th century by Hugo von Lichtenstein, who later became the founder of the famous dynasty. The castle, which received its name from the name of the builder, became not only the residence of this dynasty, but also the beginning of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
The Turkish wars did not bypass this castle. He stood as an impregnable stronghold on the path of the Ottomans. It was destroyed more than once and restored again. But after 1683 the castle remained in ruins.
Only at the very beginning of the 19th century, Prince Johann Joseph von Liechtenstein bought these ruins and restored the old castle. The Second World War caused damage to the fortress, but gradually the castle was restored. And since 2007, it is again owned by the Principality of Liechtenstein.
On the outskirts of the town of Hinterbrühl is the largest underground cave lake in Europe, Seegrotte. The area of the lake is 6.2 thousand. sq. m.
It was formed in 1912 as a result of water breaking into the mines. Tens of thousands of tons of it poured under the arches of the cave. Dozens of miners who mined gypsum here became victims of the elements.
After 6 years, the cave was bought by a Viennese entrepreneur, but his projects to organize a water park or grow mushrooms did not bring profit. Only electricity, which they were able to install in the 30s of the last century, made it possible to use an electric robot and organize excursions to the caves.
The Nazis, having captured Austria, were able to pump out water from the caves, concrete them and organize the production of aircraft engines for Heinkel in underground shelters. More than 170 prisoners of the Mauthausen concentration camp worked at the company.
Running away, the Nazis blew up the cave, but the damage was insignificant. Already in 1949, new excursions around the cave lake began.
When going on this excursion, be sure to dress warmly. In the underground grotto the temperature is always +90C.
You can ride a boat under overhanging arches and beautiful grottoes, which are especially impressive to the sounds of enchanting music and in the rays of special lighting. You can visit the underground lake at any time of the year.
While making excursions to the Vienna Woods, you can visit several more ancient monasteries. For example, Heiligenkreuz. This monastery was founded at the beginning of the 12th century by Saint Leopold III. Soon the Cistercian order became one of the most influential in Europe.
Part IV of the crucifixion of Christ, handed over at the end of the 12th century by King Baldwin of Jerusalem, is kept here.
But, starting from the 16th century, misfortunes and troubles began to haunt the Heiligenkreuz monastery. Epidemics of smallpox, cholera, plague and other deadly diseases that swept across Europe, endless fires that blazed every now and then, wiped out the inhabitants of the continent and undermined the power of the order.
And in 1683, the monastery was burned to the ground by the troops of the Ottoman Empire. But the hardworking monks, with God's help, restored and expanded their monastery.
Many secrets of legends and fairy tales shroud the Vienna Woods. Until now, no one knows exactly why Crown Prince Rudolf, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, shot his beloved and shot himself. Now a church has been built on the site of the hunting lodge, which was ordered to be demolished by his father Franz Joseph I.
Excursions to the Vienna Woods
You can take part in a multi-hour bus excursion through the Vienna Woods through travel companies that organize such tours (including with a Russian-speaking guide). Their cost will be about 60 - 80 euros per person. Individual tours will be 2−3− times more expensive.
How to get to the Vienna Woods from Vienna
But you can choose your own travel route. Having taken the metro line U4 to the Heiligenstadt stop, we change to bus route 38A and go to the Vienna Woods.
Depending on your wishes, you can get off at the Am Cobenzl stop and go to the Hermannskogel observation tower. And if you pass another stop, then further on foot along Krapfenwaldlgasse street you will come to the ancient swimming pool of the same name.
Open on weekdays 9:00-20:00, Sat. — Sun. 8:00−20:00. Entrance - 4 EUR, for children under 15 years old - 1.50 EUR.
Further along the route is the town of Kahlenberg. Visit the Polish Church, Stephaniewarte Tower, Josefinenhutte or Sirbu Tavern for amazing views of the city.
When you reach Klosterneuburg, you can visit the Baroque monastery and admire the largest collection of modern art. By transferring here to bus route 38A, which goes further, and not to Vienna (departs in 30 minutes), you can see the Baroque church on Mount Leopoldsberg, the remains of a fortress, a cafe and a wonderful view.
Vienna, March 2012
Schönbrunn Palace
This was the first famous tourist site we visited on the afternoon of March 16th. The summer residence of the imperial family, or simply a dacha. People came here to relax in the silence, greenery, in the clean air from the noise of the city, the smell of horses, the dust of carts, the shouts of merchants and other inconveniences.
What to say? A very nice palace, beautiful, with many rooms. Reminds me of Versailles or the Hermitage. Paintings, gilding, elegant furniture, high ceilings, dazzling white doors. And outside the window there is indescribable beauty. We came out of season. As soon as the employees began to plant flowers, the grass had not yet gained its strength, the fountains did not work, they were waiting for even greater warmth in April-May.
In addition, it was strictly forbidden to take photographs or film in the palace. At the entrance we paid 13.50 euros (again saving a couple of coins), received audio guide headphones in Russian and set off on a journey through the halls of the summer residence.
First, my photos of the palace.
Well, now let's see what's inside.
Reading the guide: The former summer residence of the imperial family is one of the most beautiful Baroque architectural structures in Europe. The territory had been in the possession of the Habsburgs since 1569, and in 1642 the wife of Emperor Ferdinand II ordered the construction of a summer residence here and for the first time gave it the name "Schönbrunn". The palace building and park, whose construction began in 1696, after the siege of the Turks, were completely rebuilt during the reign of Maria Theresa after 1743. The Habsburgs spent most of the year in countless chambers, which the large imperial family used along with the state reception halls.
Schönbrunn Palace served mainly as the summer residence of the imperial family; the future Emperor Franz Joseph I (reigned from 1848 to 1916) was born here in 1830, and it was here that he spent the last years of his life, leading a Spratan lifestyle like the soldiers of his army. Two years after his death, in 1918, a republic was proclaimed, and since then Schönbrunn, thanks to its extremely favorable location and architectural masterpieces, is deservedly considered one of the main attractions of Vienna.
The palace building has 1,441 rooms, 45 of which are accessible to the general public. The interior decoration of the chambers is designed in the Rococo style (white surfaces decorated with 14-karat gold leaf patterns), and includes Bohemian glass chandeliers and tiled stoves.
The living and working quarters of Emperor Franz Joseph (see illustration) are decorated simply and modestly; the more magnificent the rooms for receptions and guests seem. A six-year-old child prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, once played music in the Hall of Mirrors.
In the Round Chinese Cabinet, Empress Maria Theresa secretly conferred with State Chancellor Prince Kaunitz. And Napoleon met in the Lacquer Room. At the Blue Chinese Salon in 1918, the last Emperor Charles I signed the act of abdication, thereby ending the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Well, the Millionth Room, paneled with rosewood and decorated with the most valuable miniatures from India and Persia, is one of the best Rococo interiors in the world. Participants of the Congress of Vienna of 1814/15 danced in the Grand Gallery; today state receptions are held there on especially important occasions.
Directions: metro line U4 to Schönbrunn station, tram 60 to Hietzing stop, trams 10, 58, bus 10A to Schloss Schönbrunn stop
As I already wrote, there were big problems with the photo. I frantically clicked the camera a couple of times, but was immediately caught in this crime by the caretaker. As a result, the tourist’s military weapon had to be sheathed.
Therefore, I bring to your attention pictures of this beauty from the Internet, from the advertising brochure.
Well, that's about it.
Now two of my smuggled photographs...
In general, after walking around the palace for a couple of hours and looking at everything, we went out to the park. The sun was already starting to get hot, people, having taken off their jackets and coats, walked along the smooth paths, sat on benches, exposing their faces to the warm rays.
The park is beautiful. Even in March, when he is still far from his best.
When I think about these better times (May-September), the dialogue from “12 Chairs” immediately comes to mind:
“In order of seniority, gentlemen,” said Ostap, “let’s start with the respected Maxim Petrovich.”
Maxim Petrovich fidgeted and gave at most thirty rubles.
- In better times I'll give you more! - he said.
“Better times will come soon,” said Ostap.
I present the dialogue in the sense that I hope that someday I will come to this beautiful city in the summer and see all the beauty with my own eyes. I’ll also go to the famous mountain lakes of Austria (Wolfgangsee, Hallstetter, Königssee, Gosausee, and others).
There is something to see there, I assure you! Moreover, now you have a positive experience of communicating with a car rental office, whose services sharply reduce your financial expenses for moving around and greatly increase your mobility as a tourist.
And now, with your permission, I will again use Ostap Bender’s method and honestly borrow photos of the best times from the Internet.
With this beautiful photo, let me finish the story about Schönbrunn Palace.
Vienna Woods. Seegrotte underground lake
As I wrote earlier, the next morning after we booked an excursion to the Vienna Woods, a luxurious Mercedes with an equally luxurious blonde guide, whose name was Svetlana Hacker, drove up to the hotel. Don’t be alarmed, this is her surname from her (former) husband, an Austrian who, by a strange coincidence, was involved in computer science.
Sveta lived up to this name by revealing many secrets during the trip that were not mentioned in guidebooks and online stories. She has been living in Austria for 11 years, fate has thrown her across different expanses of the former USSR, and now, Sveta, having dropped anchor in quiet Austria, is very pleased with this circumstance.
The excursion called “Vienna Woods” consists of several parts:
1)Visit to Liechtenstein Castle
2) Walk underground to the famous and largest lake in Europe called Seegrotte.
3)Visit to Mayerling Castle, where once Prince Rudolf of Austria committed suicide with his 17-year-old mistress.
4) A trip along the beautiful trails of the Vienna Woods to Beethoven's bridge.
5) Monastery of the Holy Cross.
6)Visit to the city of Baden.
I'll start with the place that I remember most - underground lake Seegrotte.
On the way to him, Sveta told the story of his origin. In a place called Hinterbrühl, one day in 1848, blocks of gypsum were discovered at a depth of 5 meters. They began to be mined and processed in a mill. The mine gradually deepened and expanded, and in 1912 they blew up the wall there, but very unsuccessfully. From the resulting opening, gigantic streams of water poured in, flooding everything and everyone in the mine, killing many people. The mine was closed.
But then in the 30s, speleologists decided to look inside and gasped - water
retreated a little, forming a beautiful underground lake. The family that owned this land decided to make a museum there.
However, during the war, the Nazis took over the Seegrotte for their immediate needs. They pumped out the water, brought in two thousand prisoners and built a plant there to produce Henkel aircraft parts. Perhaps this was the most terrible concentration camp in terms of living conditions. People lived in a stone bag, without sunlight, for months. Few could stand it. Only one tunnel led outside from the underground barracks, narrow and low, especially at the exit, so that the prisoners could not fly out in a crowd into the open space and attack the guards.
After the war, the family regained the dungeon and made it attractive to hundreds of thousands and millions of tourists. You can get there from Vienna on your own, so as not to pay a tour agency.
We need to take the train from Vienna to Mödling. I think - from the south station (Sudbahnhof). Then - on a bus heading towards Hinterbrühl.
Here's a map for orientation.
Login Seegrotten costs 9 euros per person. And what’s interesting is that the heirs of the family, two sisters - Eleanor Mauer and Monika Schmaddebeg themselves (!) work at the cash register. This is despite the fact that both are multimillionaires, because a huge number of tourists come to them, and they buy not only tickets to the dungeon, but also souvenirs, go to a cafe, and live in a hotel nearby. The sisters are 70-72 years old, but they look great! You can see from the photo and my video. You’re unlikely to give them more than 50-55, especially Eleanor. The cash desk is cash only, credit cards are not accepted. Millionaire cashiers are nice to everyone, smile pleasantly and talk; one of them, noticing that I was filming her, straightened her back, pulled herself up and smiled even more. A very pleasant experience.
Here they are - at work.
Eleanor explains - cash only!
And now, having bought tickets, we will move inside through a narrow tunnel approximately 450-500 meters long. The entrance to it is opened by these gates. The inscription translates: “For good luck.”
Tunnel. It looks gloomy, there is not a breath of wind inside.
Soon we see the first platform. Figure of a miner extracting gypsum.
And here there was a stable. The poor horses pulled heavy weights, spun a stone disk, and gradually became blind without sunlight. In general, they clearly deserve the monument!
Let's move on. Sveta talks enthusiastically, my wife listens attentively, and I try to film. It’s hard, the lens grumbles, resists such darkness, the flash doesn’t always help.
We approach a small separate lake, under which the main one is located. It has an area of 300 square meters, a depth of 3 meters and a water temperature of 8 degrees. One day an eccentric decided to breed fish in it, brought it in a vessel with water and poured it out. A day later, all the fish floated up belly up - the underground water was unsuitable for living, there was almost no oxygen.
We approach a place associated with the saint, the patron saint of all miners - Barbara. Candles are burning there, illuminating a woman’s portrait with mysterious reflections. And the letters - G and A - “For good luck”!
And in other places in the dungeon you can find the icon of Barbara. In the adit that bears her name.
And here is the military theme mentioned earlier. The Germans made an underground factory here due to the British bombing of their facilities. There were no air bombs here. The workshops produced parts for the body of the Heinkel 162 jet aircraft. And only then they went to the Wien-Schwechat airport, where the planes were fully assembled.
Opposite him, in a large recess, there is a wall for executions. But it was not possible to approach her - it was blocked off. They did this for the reason that some extremely curious and enterprising tourists began to pick out bullets from the wall that had once killed people.
But, as often happens in life, the tragic coexists with the festive.
Soon we see a large hall in which celebrations are held - once a year on December 4, on the day of the angel of St. Barbara, miners and their families are invited, a boys' choir comes from Vienna, wine flows like a river here, which is produced in the vineyards owned by the family.
Finally, we are approaching the main lake! Here is the descent to the boat.
This is roughly how passengers board and disembark.
A boat under the control of a local captain floats silently across the lifeless surface of the lake. A turn, darkness, another turn, the light of the lamps already illuminates the water and the walls of the cave. In one place there is a reddish light: here the guides use a funny joke towards the passengers: “If your face remains reddish in this light, then you are an honest person; if not, they are swindlers and thieves. Everyone on our boat fell into the first category. I don’t understand how to get into the second one in such lighting. But people here are clearly tense.
Meanwhile, the boat makes new turns. The light changes, the landscape changes, but still it is clearly not enough for photo and video equipment without backlight. Therefore, I borrow some of the photos according to O. Bender’s principle from the official website of the lake. They probably brought powerful lamps for filming. If I could characterize this boat ride in two words, they would be: “Silence, Beauty...”
Isn't it dangerous to stay in this dungeon for a long time? - timid tourists may ask. - How is the air there? And isn't the water rising? Is the boat reliable? Is the captain drunk?
They will be reassured: the air is flowing regularly, as is the water. But the water is pumped out at night by powerful pumps.
- Were there any accidents? - a particularly fearful tourist will repeat the question of the hero of “Operation Y”.
Alas. There was one accident involving Japanese tourists. May 31, 2004.
They unsuccessfully moved to one side to get a better look at the object, but the boat capsized! At a depth of only 1.20 meters. But this was enough for the overturned vessel to cover the elderly people who were unable to get to the surface. As a result, five people died, the boat's design engineer was sent to prison for six months, the ship was replaced, and a memorial sign was installed on the wall.
All! Our boat docked, the tour guide hinted that the captain wouldn’t put a “thank you” in his mouth, and on the way out I threw a coin into the open food of the underground sea wolf.
To the exit! To the sun! To the greenery and beautiful scenery of beautiful Austria!
This wonderful route was overshadowed by one circumstance. As soon as Sveta’s Mercedes, or rather her travel company’s, drove a couple of hundred meters away from Seegrotte, she pointed to a light building towering above the road:
- And this is one of the villas of the wife of the former mayor of Moscow, Elena Baturina.
There she is, in the distance, on a ledge, white. It’s a pity that such a beautiful corner of Austria is desecrated by the stinking breath of a seasoned thief. She will never personally sit at the cash register of her own enterprise, like those two sisters with bright faces. Not working, but just raking and slurping - this is for people like Baturina. That’s why their faces are so strikingly different...
Tales of the Vienna Woods.
The Vienna Woods is a special, unique place in Austria. The heady, clean air of untouched nature seems to be saturated with romantic secrets, unsolved mysteries of past centuries; it flows into your lungs, causing some kind of calm and peaceful joy in your soul, a feeling of belonging to the beautiful, and this feeling remains in your memory for a long time. With each new kilometer that our guide's Mercedes drove, we gradually immersed ourselves in the atmosphere of these secrets, learning a lot of new, interesting, and memorable things. Liechtenstein Castle, a monastery with a relic stored there - part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, Beethoven's bridge, a beautiful arc spanning a mountain river, the tragic Mayerling, where Prince Rudolf and 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vechera committed suicide, the town of Baden, where they lived and the great Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Kalman created.
However, first things first.
LICHTENSTEIN CASTLE
It is visible from afar. The name translates as “Light Stone”.
As if soaring into the sky with his stone bulk, the graceful giant looks condescendingly at everything earthly, since he has seen and experienced a lot in his lifetime. A long time ago, back in the mid-12th century, the castle was built under the leadership of a princely dynasty, the eldest of whom was Hugo von Liechtenstein at that time. Reliable walls often saved it from the invasion of various conquerors. And only once, in 1529, the Turks managed to take the castle by storm and, angry at its long resistance, destroyed and broke the walls. And they took it because besieged Vienna was supplied with food from here along secret paths. Therefore, the Janissaries decided to destroy all living things within a radius of 20 kilometers. There were only 16 people in the castle - Prince Liechtenstein with his wife and son and 13 soldiers. The Turkish detachment numbered a thousand people, and when they burst inside, they killed everyone except the 6-year-old son of the prince.
Long after this, sad ruins stood, waiting for someone from the powers that be to breathe life into the ancient walls again. And such a person was found - Prince Johann the First, who commanded the Austrian troops in the battle with Napoleon at Austerlitz, bought the castle in 1807 and began to lead the restoration work. By 1820, the Liechtenstein Palace (Schloss Liechtenstein) was added to the castle. The castle was finally restored only in 1903.
But even after this, the castle experienced a lot of human cruelty. In 1945, he found himself on the front line between Soviet and German troops. Our people had an order not to destroy historical values. Therefore, Soviet soldiers used only flamethrowers. Imagine their surprise when they burst inside. Among the defenders of Liechtenstein Castle there were only Hitler Youth teenagers - from 11 to 16 years old.
... We are driving closer to the castle. The sun floods its powerful walls, yes, the stone seems to be light, it’s not for nothing that it has such a name.
There are few people around the castle in the morning. Svetlana says that in the evening, fans gather here to play in costume performances, which attract many spectators. We take photos for memory, then go to a local shop and buy two bottles of wine, pink and white, under the Lishtenstein brand from a smiling seller. It’s a pity that tourists have not been allowed inside the castle since 2009; the heirs of the famous princely family still live there...
HEILIGENKREUZ MONASTERY
A very famous and dear place for Catholic believers. It belongs to the so-called Cistercians, representatives of a branch of the monastic order, who are also called Bernardines (named after the founder Bernard of Clairvaux, or white monks. They are characterized by complete asceticism, the absence of household utensils, luxurious interiors, paintings and many other attributes that, for example, fill the lives of representatives of the current Russian Orthodox Church.
The monastery was founded in 1133. In 1182, King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem gave a valuable relic to Duke Leopold V of Austria as a gift. Cross with fragments of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. On May 31, 1188, the Duke donated the relic to the Heiligenkreuz monastery, where it is kept to this day. This fragment of the Life-Giving Tree is the largest in Europe.
Access to the shrine is very limited, but we were incredibly lucky and got to look at this thing sacred to Catholics and all Christians. Three men dressed in sharp black suits walked in ahead of us. They knelt down on one knee in reverence and silently contemplated the shrine. I did not dare to disturb their moment of prayer by filming, I waited until they got up and left the Temple, and only after that I clicked the camera shutter.
Alas, the monastery suffered the same fate as Liechtenstein Castle. In 1883 it was besieged by the Turks, captured and burned. But then the Janissaries were driven out and the buildings were gradually restored.
The architecture of the buildings is designed in Gothic and Romanesque styles. At the entrance to the abbey, in the courtyard there is a Baroque column of the Holy Trinity.
The asceticism of the Cistercians is visible inside the church. Nothing superfluous, everything is strict, without paintings or even icons on the walls.
The appearance of the church is beautiful.
Nearby is an establishment where monks are trained. Benedict 16th High School. To get there as a student, you have to go through difficult tests - only seven exams in Latin! And the competition is 15-20 people per place. The education received within these walls is considered one of the best in Europe.
We walked around the abbey for another half hour. Svetlana said that here the monks created the famous center of Gregorian chant. And in 2008 they released a disc called “Chant - Music For Paradise”. The success of the recording was enormous - the monks of the abbey were ahead of many stars in the charts,
This album sold out in huge numbers and went gold and platinum in many European countries. You can download it here: http://www.gusli.su/gregorian_chants/
Many famous people are buried in the monastery cemetery: thirteen members of the Babenberg dynasty, the Venetian sculptor Giuseppe Giuliani, who created all the sculptures in the abbey, Maria Vechera, the 17-year-old mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf, who died from his bullet...
Leaving this place, I thought about this. Still, man is a very fickle creature. Here was Christ and the apostles created and spread his teaching throughout the world. But years, decades and centuries passed, and new people, new monks, clergy came up with new rules, rituals, prohibitions, restrictions, rituals and names. So it is here - the Cistercians once broke away from the Benedican order. And they, in turn, moved away from someone else even earlier, creating their own rules and laws. And so on endlessly, confusing researchers and historians.
And only one thing remains unchanged. Great Nature. The sun shone millions of years ago, is shining now, and will continue to shine for people for a long time. Giving life to everything on earth. And these were the first snowdrops that emerged from the ground next to the sculptures of Giuseppe Giuliani. So, perhaps, the most correct religion is the cult of Nature, the Sun God and other ancient gods of the world of our ancestors?
MAYERLING. In Liebe Vereint Bis In Den Tod
Tragic place.
Here, in his country hunting house, the only son, the heir of Emperor Franz Joseph, Rudolf, committed suicide. But he did not die alone, but together with his mistress, 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vechera.
More than a hundred years have passed since this event, and it still remains shrouded in a mysterious veil. Investigators, historians, and analysts are confused by one strange circumstance: how could the crown prince, being right-handed, shoot himself in the left temple?
But all the prerequisites for such a suicide were there. Rudolf grew up as an unbalanced individual, subject to the “revolutionary fads in Europe at the end of the 19th century. He considered the old Austro-Hungarian Empire to be rotten, a stagnant swamp, an “Augean stable” that needed to be cleared with fresh streams of new ideas of freedom. There was even a desire to separate Hungary and become the sole ruler there. On this basis, he had constant conflicts with his father. In addition, Rudolf's personal life was not successful. He was married to the daughter of the Belgian monarch, Stephanie - ugly, old-fashioned and boring, as he believed. Rudolf went on a spree that all of Vienna was whispering about. He drank, took drugs, changed lovers. Over time, he began to experience an unhealthy interest in death, and more than once stated that he should commit suicide. But the crown prince did not want to leave this life alone. At first he suggested doing this to his mistress named Mitzi Kaspar. She took it as a joke, but then, realizing that Rudolf was serious, she got scared and ran away from the strange heir.
But fate would have it that the crown prince found someone willing to share his deathbed. She turned out to be the young Baroness Maria Vechera.
This love triangle (photo from the Internet)
Maria Vechera was a sensual brunette, with a graceful gait, looked older than her years and already had a reputation as a subtle seductress of men.
Franz Joseph, having learned about their connection, became furious. One day he scolded his son, loudly declaring that he was “not worthy to be an heir.” This was the last straw in the vessel overflowing with Rudolf's unhealthy desire. Shortly before this, he gave his mistress a ring on which was engraved a strange inscription in letters: ILVBIDT. Which literally meant: “In Liebe Vereint Bis In Den Tod” (United by love to death).
On January 30, 1889, Rudolf and Mary (she asked to be called that) retired to Mayerling Castle, 30 km south of Vienna. The Crown Prince asked a lackey named Losek not to let anyone into his chambers, not even the Emperor. The next morning, a strange, dead silence reigned in the house. The footman became worried when the lovers did not come out for breakfast. Then he started panicking - Rudolf did not respond to knocks and questions from the room. Then Losek found an ax and cut a hole in the door. What he saw horrified him - the young people were lying dressed on the bed, both were dead. Mary was holding a rose in her hands. And Rudolph leaned against the mirror of the bedside table; he is believed to have used it to aim at himself.
In the turmoil that arose, Emperor Franz Joseph did everything to prevent rumors about the murder of Vechera and the suicide of his son from spreading throughout Austria-Hungary. It was announced that the heir to the throne had simply died. He ordered the body of the baroness to be secretly transferred from the castle. Even a hearse was not called, Mary was simply put in a carriage, with a stick tied to her back so that her head would not fall down, and in this form they were brought to the Heiligenkreuz monastery, where she was buried.
Rudolf, despite some protests from the clergy, was buried in the family imperial crypt of the Capuchin Church. All of Vienna said goodbye to him. The crown prince's head was bandaged in white to hide the terrible wound. The emperor ordered the hunting castle to be demolished and a temple to be built at the site of his son’s death.
So Svetlana and I arrived there, knocked on the closed door, and a couple of minutes later the gatekeeper, an elderly woman, opened the entrance to this place of a long-standing tragedy.
The church is very small and modest. The inside is quiet, clean, the ceiling and walls are beautifully painted. Nearby are rooms where photographs depicting the grief of the imperial family hang on the walls. Only those closest to him were invited to Rudolf's funeral; many of the imperial houses of Europe who wanted to come to Vienna were politely refused by Franz Joseph.
Exterior of the cathedral.
And this is the sarcophagus in which Maria Vechera was buried. And her photo above. This tomb was moved here after the barbarians dug up the corpse of Maria Vechera in the cemetery of Heiligenkreuz Abbey and violated it. The crown prince's mistress was buried there a second time, probably more securely, and in memory the sarcophagus was transported to the site of the tragedy.
BEETHOVEN'S BRIDGE
Next, our path lay along a cheerful and clean mountain river called Schwechat. The first stop is near a small wooden bridge, thrown in an arc over the waters. He bears the name of Ludwig van Beethoven. The famous composer came here many times and lived nearby in Baden. According to experts, it was in these places that he wrote the “Solemn Mass” and the 9th symphony, which made him famous throughout the world.
The composer changed homes very often - the neighbors simply could not stand it: the deafening Ludwig tapped the rhythm of his works on the walls. And this is how I perceived my music - through vibrations. One day he left the apartment, leaving it in complete chaos. The owner was about to sue the genius, but noticed in time that one window sill was painted with music notes. This was the beginning of the divine 9th Symphony. The owner of the home carefully broke out the window sill and then sold it at auction as a valuable relic. I bought myself a whole villa with the proceeds.
There were no tourists on the bridge yet, which usually pleases those who like to capture a landmark without a single soul nearby.
In the circle are the notes of the famous song “Ich kenn ein kleines Wegerl im Helenental”. Helenenthal is the name of this place. The song says that lovers are looking for a secluded place from prying eyes and find it here.
Below, under the bridge, a small waterfall roars. The water is very clean and there are trout in the river.
BADEN
A short road from the bridge to a town called "Baden"(not to be confused with the German Baden-Baden!) lay through a small tunnel, inside which passengers must make wishes with their eyes closed. I made a wish. But he didn’t stop filming during this process.
About the differences between Germans and Austrians. They are noticeable to many tourists who have been to both Germany and Austria. People speak the same language. But. Austrians are more cheerful, friendly, welcoming, and generous. The Germans are cold and stingy in comparison. Regarding Baden (translated as “baden” - to swim), the Austrians joke: “One time is enough for us to understand that we need to swim here. And one more thing: ““The Austrians understand everything the first time, but the Germans have to repeat it twice. And the Germans are so dirty that they have to wash themselves twice.”
But most of all, the Germans are offended by this slogan from their neighbors: “We gave Hitler to Germany, but took Beethoven from them.” By the way, Austrians never remember Hitler. And if one of the guests reminds them of the Fuhrer, who comes from their place, then the Austrians frown as if they had swallowed a lemon at once. And so that there is no temptation to extol Adolf, everyone knows about such a case. At a bar party, one tipsy teenager climbed up on a table, extended his arm in a Nazi salute and barked, “Heil Hitler!”
The result for the emotional young man was nine months of real prison.
So, Baden.
The town is neither big nor small. However, definitely not our Naryan-Mar. The elite of Austrian society lives here. And she always lived. The houses are priced at 10-15 million euros (I wonder if the Luzhkov-Baturin couple were allowed here? Apparently not...) Peter the Great himself once visited this place and was treated in the thermal waters. Well, listing the celebrities who visited Baden would take more than one page of text.
The town has quiet, pretty streets. There is little transport. We approach the square near the casino. This is where the richest people around the world left countless amounts of banknotes. Like our Dostoevsky in German Baden-Baden. And in front of the casino there is a monument to those who lost to smithereens. The rider in what the mother gave birth to on her horse. He was smart enough not to pawn it either, otherwise how would he get home on foot like that?
Sveta gives us a lift to the center, we don’t want to go to the hotel, we have other, active plans. We say goodbye warmly. Sveta, if you are reading these lines, then know that you are super! Thank you!!
For all readers who want to go to Vienna and use the services of such a wonderful guide, I give her phone number: +43/664 93 5 95 10, Svetlana Hacker, e-mail: [email protected]
In conclusion - videos where you can see live what I wrote about here.
Ready for criticism! |
Tags: Austria,
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