Europe '81: Imperial Vienna

September 9, 1981

My fascination with the Habsburg dynasty began with the 1968 film Mayerling starring Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve. The movie is about the mysterious deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress at the imperial hunting lodge, Mayerling, in 1889. On my second day in Vienna I paid a visit to the Hofburg, centre of the Holy Roman Empire, and residence of the Habsburgs for over 600 years.

The Imperial Apartments, the Hofburg (1981)

I have a vague memory of passing through the grand entrance to the grounds of the palace which served as the imperial family's winter home in central Vienna. My only photo was taken at the Imperial Apartments in what I believe to be the Dining Room of the Alexander Apartments, decorated with Flemish tapestries and Bohemian crystal chandeliers. The Hofburg website offers a virtual tour of the Imperial Apartments.

I also toured the Schatzkammer, or Imperial Treasury, which my trip diary notes had beautiful jewels, crowns, swords and christening robes. One of those crowns must have been the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire.

Upon leaving the Hofburg I passed the Rathaus (Town Hall), the Austrian Parliament Building and St. Stephen's Cathedral. I seem to remember the latter as being too massive to fully capture with my camera so no photos.

The Rathaus, Town Hall (1981)

Austrian Parliament Building, Vienna (1981)

That day I indulged in some traditional Austrian cuisine. I enjoyed delicious weiner schnitzel and white heuriger wine (which is wine from the new harvest) in the pleasant surroundings of a family-run restaurant.

A stop at the elegant Cafe Demel, the historic Viennese cafe renowned for its fine pastries, was also on my wish list. Here I had coffee and Sachertorte (rich chocolate cake with a filling of apricot jam and a bittersweet chocolate glaze) for 80 ATS ($6.00 CAD). I'd love to return to Vienna someday for another slice of cake!

And I wasn't done yet with Imperial Vienna. The next day I had plans to visit the Habsburg summer residence, Schonbrunn Palace.