Photos and the City

Tag: Austria

  • Auf Sommerfrische

    [Disclaimer: The links to Airbnb are partner links and I may get a commission if you book via this link.]

    2020 seems to be the year of the staycation or like we use to say in Austria “Sommerfrische”, which loosely translated means summer retreat. People (who could/can afford it) left the city and spend the summer months in the cooler and relaxing countryside. When you couldn´t afford to have to residences you just rented a villa or booked a hotel for the summer. A tradition started by the aristocracy during the Renaissance time and adapted by the upper-middle class in the 18th century. Railways in the 19th century made travelling easier, faster and more affordable.

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    Not so different from me spending the last three summers in Northern England and Scotland to escape the heat in Vienna. As we know this year is different, I´m back at exploring different options for a bit of a Sommerfrische.

    Sommerfrische in Vienna

    Schönbrunn Palace was built as the summer residence of the monarchs. Without proper sewer systems and condensed housing Vienna probably got quite smelly in the summertime and the palace travelled outside the city to Schönbrunn. Originally a hunting ground Maria Theresia received the estate as a wedding gift and had the palace remodelled.

    Spend a day in the gardens, enjoy the view from the Gloriette or go for a swim at the Schönbrunner Bad (pool). A quick and instant Sommerfrische reachable by subway or tram.

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    Go for a swim in the Danube, old-fashioned river baths, the Lobau or the Donauinsel, there are so many different possibilities to tip your toes in.

    Take a tram or train to Bad Vöslau or Bad Fischau – two stunning thermal baths and you´ll be swimming in cold mineral water – exactly the one you could buy in a bottle!

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    Or if you don´t even want to leave the city centre what about a Sommerfrische at the Burggarten? The Lipizzaner horses do it every year and will be back this August.

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    Emperor Franz Joseph loved Bad Ischl as his summer retreat and funny enough I know quite a few people who also went there this summer. I chose a different corner of Austria for my Sommerfrische weekend: The Kamp Valley (Kamptal)

    Another famous area for the summertime is the Semmering.

    Gars am Kamp

    We found a cute little house with a huge garden on Airbnb and it was settled, our little summer break would be at the “Luftkurort Gars am Kamp”, a town known for its air quality and lovely houses from the turn of the century.

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    We spent a whole day at the river bath in Plank am Kamp – another lovely bath from around 1900 with a great café. You can rent SUPs, kayak, umbrellas and enjoy coffee and snacks. It was a super hot day and swimming the river was just amazing. The water was around refreshing 16°C.

    There are three reservoirs in the valley and even though the first one was already closed due to too many people we found a very secluded spot at Stausee Ottenstein and spent another day just swimming and relaxing.

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    And on our third and last day, we just walked around Gars am Kamp and went to the local pool. There are many castles and palaces in the area and also lots of options for hikes, but we just wanted to swim and enjoy the water.

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    It is a little gem just about 1h by car from Vienna!

     

     

     

  • Max Reinhardt Seminar

    Max Reinhardt was a very common name for me during my studies of Theatre Sciences – I can´t remember how many papers I wrote about his productions of “A summer night’s dream”. So when the igersvienna offered a tour around the Palais Cumberland and the Schloßtheater Schönbrunn I took my chance for a little visit.

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    Palais Cumberland

    The Max Reinhardt seminar was founded in 1928 when the University of Music and Performing Arts asked Reinhardt to create a drama seminar. Originally based at the Schloßtheater Schönbrunn the school moved to the Palais Cumberland in 1940. The imperial theatre at Schönbrunn Palace is still used to stage the performances of the students.

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    Only a handful of students are accepted into the seminar every year, their journey begins with the auditions at the studio stage.

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    Emanuel Teles da Silva bought the ground of three houses in today’s 15th district had them destroyed and built a palace on one of the grounds, N°9. A few years later Maria Theresia bought the palace and gave it to her brother in law Karl von Lothringen who needed a summer residence close to Schönbrunn Palace. And da Silva built himself a new palace at the N°11.

    In 1867 Franz Joseph I bought both palaces and had them combined into one. He gave the new “double palace” to the former king Georg V von Hannover who had fought on Austria’s side against Prussia. From then on the palace was known as Palais Cumberland.

    In 1940 the Reinhardt Seminar moved into N°9 and N°11 houses the embassy of the Czech Republic.

    vienna, max reinhardt seminar, actors, actress, university, music, theatre, schloßtheater schönbrunn, palais cumberlandt

    The “Arena” is the only original part left the rest of the two palaces have been rebuilt and renovated often. Today the arena is also used for performances.

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    Palais Cumberland is surrounded by a huge and stunning garden.

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    Schloßtheater Schönbrunn

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    In 1745 Maria Theresia commissioned Nicolò Pacassi to built an imperial theatre in one the palace wings of Schönbrunn, one of the very first European palace theatres. The Schloßtheater Schönbrunn opened on 4 October 1747.

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    After a few centuries of lively performances, the theatre was used as storage for furniture before World War I. The imperial belongings were stolen in 1919 and plays were again performed during the summer by the Burgtheater, directed by Albert Heine, until 1924. In 1929 the theatre was given to the Max Reinhardt seminar as rehearsal stage.

    Today the seminar and the opera department of the Universität für Musik use the Schloßtheater for their student’s plays and productions.

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  • Art & Portraits at Donaukanal

    For many, many years the Donaukanal, a former arm of the Danube, now a regulated water channel going through Vienna, was more or less ignored – a real Viennese “Gstättn“. A Gstättn means a grassy patch of land in the city, mostly ignored by official city planners (until it´s decided to build something on it).

    In the early 1990is, the southern section was transformed into a more recreational area with playgrounds, grass and lots of benches. The section along the first and second district only made it´s revival some years ago, when the first cafés opened and part of the paths gets transformed into beaches during the summer, even a floating swimming pool was opened – and suddenly the former Gstättn became one of Vienna’s hot spots the whole year round. there is always something going on.

    Art Collectives working there, street art (it´s actually legal to spray there), boats going to Bratislava, sporty zones, cafés and much much more can be done at the Canal. It´s also a wonderful location to takes pictures and use as a backdrop for portraits and fashion photography. Or take a photo walk with me. Airbnb Experiences now are also available in Vienna, there are quite a few to choose from and one of them is a photo walk along the Donaukanal.

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    Don´t hesitate to get in contact, if you´re interested in booking your own photo walk in and around Vienna! For more information on the one at Donaukanal have a look at Airbnb!