Heldenplatz is dominated by two enormous equestrian statues. The first we saw was of Archduke Charles of Austria.
Heldenplatz itself was a mess. We had arrived in time for some kind of food and agricultural festival. As such, the only photo I could get of the palace features portaloos.
The other equestrian statue is of Prince Eugene. He was a military-savvy Frenchman, which is not a sentence I get to write often.
As we approached the entrance of the Palace the Liar said; "oh, look, they've put out their flag collection."
I've posted already about the arms and armour museum in the palace, but the building itself is worth visiting. Everything is finished in marble, the halls and staircases seem to go on forever.
The building itself was an ambitious project, and never actually finished. I found this hard to believe when I heard it, because it's enormous.
From his horse, Prince Eugene had a good view of the festival, and of Vienna right to the Rathaus.
When we got out of the palace, this happened:
Just around the corner is an impressive statue of Francis II, who was the last Holy Roman Emperor. He dissolved the Empire after defeat at the hands of Napoleon. He was also Francis I of Austria, having founded the Austrian Empire.
The afternoon was spent wandering the backstreets of Vienna, eating wurst and drinking coffee. It was also a very pleasant afternoon, as the old town of Vienna is gorgeous.
We went back to Mafiosi for dinner and had gnocchi. An American couple at the table next to ours struck up a conversation, so we met Stan and Gail who have invited us to visit them in Iowa when we undertake the Great American Road Trip.
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