Gallery » EUROPE/AFRICA/ MIDDLE EAST » Round the World 2019 - Europe » Vienna 2019 » 26 July: St. Stephens & St. Peters
Due to ongoing renovations at The Hilton, breakfast was served in the main restaurant, Spar’s, rather than in the Club Lounge. The buffet at Spar's was amazing – Asian foods; Arabian foods; and traditional European foods. We enjoyed a delicious and leisurely breakfast. After a quick stop at the Concierge Desk, we begin our explorations of Old Town.
Our first sight to visit was St. Stephen’s Cathedral (more commonly known by its German title: Stephansdom). It is a Roman Catholic Church that serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The current Church stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the original being a parish church consecrated in 1147. The current St. Stephen’s Cathedral dates from the mid 1330’s. It is considered to be the most important religious building in Vienna. With its multicolored tile roof, St. Stephen’s is one of the city's most recognizable symbols.
We wandered a short distance from St. Stephen’s and found the Plague Column (or Trinity Column). It was erected after the Great Plague epidemic in 1679. It too is a well-known and prominent piece of art in the city. In 1679 when Emperor Leopold I fled the city, he vowed to erect a mercy column if the epidemic would end. In the same year, a provisional wooden column was made showing the Holy Trinity and nine sculpted angels. The column in its present form was eventually inaugurated in 1694.
Next we visited St. Peter’s Church (also known by its German name: Peterskirche). This Roman Catholic Church sits in the center of Petersplatz square just off the busy Graben pedestrian area. When walking towards the Church, you see its dome rising at the end of the street leading to the square. The Church has an entrance foyer, an oval-shaped domed area with mini-chapels and a high altar area. The massive baroque organ was built in 1751. The Church was built in the early 18th century and designed to mimic in form its namesake in Rome (as you can tell from a glance at the main dome). Its official consecration took place in 1733.
It was now mid-afternoon and very, very hot (30c+) so we headed back to The Hilton slowly. Once there we enjoyed a Diet Coke in the Lounge before relaxing for the balance of the afternoon.
