We were up there.
Looking down here.
Last week, we were in Vienna and climbed the south tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
My husband loves climbing these high towers. I do not — being both a little afraid of heights and a little claustrophobic. However, lured by the promise of a great view, I almost always follow him up. And I always think, after about 30 steps, how this is absolutely the last tower I will ever climb. . . at least this year (I’ve climbed two this year). . . at least in this city.
The view from the watch room (343 steps up) was tremendous. A night watchman actually occupied the room until 1955. If he saw a fire in the city, he would ring the tower bells.
Looking southeast, I spotted this pretty courtyard garden and took a few pictures.
After the climb down, we went around the corner, looking for the Mozart House (Mozarthaus).
We went through a passageway off Singerstraße and found ourselves in the same courtyard seen from above.
It was not the Mozart House, but the seat of the Grand Master of the Order of the Teutonic Knights of St. Mary’s Hospital in Jerusalem (or Deutscher Orden).
The Order has been associated with this site since 1204. The present building dates from the second half of the 18th century.
Mozart did briefly live on the premises from March to May 1781 — and Johannes Brahms from 1863 to 1865.
From one window on the courtyard, you can get a peek into the Sala Terrena, a frescoed room next to the chapel and the oldest concert hall in Vienna.
Mozart played there, and it now hosts the Mozart Ensemble Wien several days a week.
(Streifzug means ‘foray,’ ‘ brief survey,’ or ‘ramble.’)
Great vantage point to explore the views. I’d never get my husband up there because of the height! Nice courtyard.
It was fun to stumble on the very place we’d been looking at from the tower. Never did find the Mozart House though.
COLOR photographs!!!
More next week. Vienna was great.
Keep ’em coming.
I love climbing towers too. The Scott Monument in Edinburgh is 56 less steps but it is soooooo tight at the top I started to doubt getting up there! But you can’t turn around!!
My worse experience was the Washington Monument in Baltimore — not that tall, but a very small space.
Thanks for the armchair travel. Love the courtyard, amazing what a red geraniums can do!
It really shows how using only one accent color can be effective, particularly in a small space like this.
I wonder if that red has a particular signficance?
It is certainly very effective in the garden courtyard.
I did a quick Google search, and I couldn’t find anything specific about the meaning of red for the order (their dress has always been a white robe with a black cross). However, it may relate to the red in the German flag.
There’s nothing like window boxes, red flowers, white walls, and greenery. Lovely.
The aerial views are amazing, but I actually like the more intimate ground-level views better.