Page 148 - WDT INTERACTIVE

Other images that linger:

Rambling the cobbled streets of Old Town in
Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak Republic. It’s a
compact and picturesque town that dates to the
Middle Ages – but caters to modern-day visitors
who enjoy pondering history at outdoor cafes and
boutiques offering works by local artisans. From Old
Town, it’s an easy walk to the so-called UFO Bridge
that straddles the Danube. Three hundred feet up,
atop the tower from which the bridge is suspended,
there’s an observation deck and a bar. Join new
friends there for a toast; life’s too short not to.
Vilhjalm passengers waltzed through Vienna inhal-
ing non-stop culture: elegant architecture, mind-blow-
ing music, art and sculpture – often with surprising
back stories. When we visited the Hofburg Palace, the
former winter residence of the Hapsburg dynasty, for
example, we learned that Emperor Ferdinand I feuded
with his son, Crown Prince Maximilian. Ferdinand
didn’t want Max living under his roof, so ordered a new
wing for the prince – a wing not physically connected
to the rest of the palace complex. Max’s old digs are
today home to the Spanish Riding School, which has
been training Lipizzaner stallions (and riders) for more
than four centuries.
An optional Viking tour allowed us behind the
scenes at the Riding School. We strolled the pristine-
clean stable, close enough to pet the horses in their
stalls – though touching was no-no. A guide ex-
plained that all of the 72 Lipizzans on site descended
from just six stallions.
Another historic note: It took 436 years for the Viennese coffee houses are everywhere. Play it
riding school to accept female students. The first was safe with a “kapuziner” (cappuccino) or try a “phari-
enrolled in 2008 – and after eight years of training the saer,” an espresso with sugar, cocoa and a shot of
school now has a woman rider. rum, topped with whipped cream of course.
In Vienna, even life’s staples – coffee and cake – are Vienna is a classical masterpiece. Franz Schubert
sensory delights steeped in history and culture. The and Johann Strauss were born here; Beethoven,
Sachertorte first was concocted for royalty in 1832 by Hayden, Brahms and Mozart all lived here. On the
Franz Sacher. Think ultra-rich chocolate cake, layered Saturday night we were in Vienna, there were 62
with apricot preserves, topped with chocolate icing concerts being staged. An optional Viking tour took
and unsweetened whipped cream. With a fellow us to the century old Mozart Sall Konzerhaus where
cruiser, I shared a slice at the Demel Bakery, where the Wiener Hofburg Orchestra performed Mozart and
Sachre’s eldest son perfected his father’s recipe. A Strauss in a program that included opera and dance.
decadent delight. At the end, we stood for an ovation.
It was Sunday morning when we arrived at Krems,
a small university town at the eastern end of Austria’s

148 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018