The first was the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, a stone quarry slave labor and death camp along the Danube River. This was a very sobering stop. Although far less tourist-focused than other concentration camps, Mauthausen was one of the most brutal and deadly. It is estimated that 120,000 prisoners died in the Mauthausen-Gusen complex between 1938 and 1945.
Mauthausen entrance.
Although it is emotionally taxing to tour the site of such cruelty and injustice, I believe it is also important to visit these memorials and 'never forget'.
After Mauthausen, our next stop along the Danube River was Melk, Austria.
The Danube River flood lines on a building adjacent to the river banks.
Our destination in Melk was the Benediktinerstift, or Melk Abbey. Built as a Benedictine Abbey in the 11th century, it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in a Baroque style in the 18th century. It was restored to it's dazzling state in 1996.
View from the Danube River.
View from the Danube River.
At the entrance.
Boys in the courtyard.
Dome inside the church.
View inside the church, there was so much gold gilding on everything, it was hard to look at.
After Melk, we made our way to Vienna, Austria.
We started at Stephansdom, or St. Stephen's Cathedral, a huge Gothic cathedral in the heart of Vienna.
Outside ground view.
Inside the cathedral.
The amazing organ.
Model of the church. The boys loved to look at this.
We climbed the 343 windy spiral steps up the south tower. We were awarded with amazing views of the city, including a look at the beautifully patterned glazed-tile roof.
Kevin and boys bundled for the cold.
Hofberg Palace entrance, main residence of the Hapsburgs.
Boys finding another fun place to hide out.
Model of the church. The boys loved to look at this.
We climbed the 343 windy spiral steps up the south tower. We were awarded with amazing views of the city, including a look at the beautifully patterned glazed-tile roof.
Kevin and boys bundled for the cold.
Hofberg Palace entrance, main residence of the Hapsburgs.
Boys finding another fun place to hide out.
Front of the Vienna Opera House. Although they had a very child-friendly Christmas show, we did not go to any concerts, we were afraid Piper could still rise above their volume.
This sign just had so many Eastern European destinations, I was glad Kevin only added Brataslava to our destination!
Colorful and ornate buildings in the old town.
The next day, we drove past the Schloss Schönbrunn, or Schönbrunn Palace, the summer home for the Hapsburgs.
Then, since we were 'close', Kevin decided we just had to drive over to Brataslava, the capital of Slovakia before heading south to Graz.
This sign just had so many Eastern European destinations, I was glad Kevin only added Brataslava to our destination!
This is the New Bridge, formerly the Most SNP (Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising) built under the communist regime over the Danube into Brataslava, Slovakia. The bridge construction demolished much of the historic Jewish quarter in the old town when constructed between 1967 and 1972. That and the ultra-modern UFO-topped appearance don't make it a very popular or eye pleasing addition.
Colorful and ornate buildings in the old town.
Final view of Brataslava with the Brataslava castle in the background.
The fourth and final segment of the Christmas 2008 trip will be posted soon!
1 comment:
Looking forward to part IV! It's so much fun to see all the amazing places you visited. Absolutly a Christmas to remember. You guys look great by the way! I'm going to have to print some of those pictures off and frame then :)
Post a Comment