Page 145 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2023 SPECIAL CRUISE EDTION

or classical music is allowed as the background
music thus keeping the atmosphere simple and
traditional.
After lunch, I said my goodbyes to Gabriele
and went on to explore the Austrian capital’s
mightiest church: St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
While parts of the 12th-century building are
closed off for guided tours, the left-hand side
was freely accessible and I could walk nearly
its entire length. On the roof, colorful roof
tiles form the Royal and Imperial double-
headed eagle and the coat of arms of the city
of Vienna.
On the hunt for a little souvenir, the
Naschmarkt was my next destination where a
colorful crowd buys fruit, vegetables, and var-
ious delicacies from every country from dawn
till dusk. During my visit, the vendors were
keen to demonstrate the name of the market
(naschen means snack) and they were happy to
let me try some bite-sized morsels.
Slowly walking back to the hotel, a huge,
odd-looking tower caught my eye. It was one
of three Flaktürme in Vienna (there are also
three in Berlin and two in Hamburg) built by
the Nazis to serve as platforms for batteries of
anti-aircraft guns. After the war, because of
their massively sturdy construction, destruc-
tion was deemed unfeasible. However, Flak
tower 2-L (Esterházypark) was converted and
started a new life as the aquarium “Haus des
Meeres” in 1956.
Accompanied by a glass of “Weißer
Spritzer”, a popular mix of white wine and
sparkling water, I enjoyed the views from 360°
Ocean Sky, a recently opened cocktail bar on
the 11th floor of the Flak tower. Here, I stum-
bled online upon this quote from composer
Frédéric Chopin: “Vienna is a handsome, lively
city, and pleases me exceedingly.” I couldn’t
have phrased it any better.

PHOTOGRAPHYCOPYRIGHTBYWIBKECARTER

Right: St Stephen's Cathedral; a stall
at the Naschmarkt
Left: Kleines Cafe; a statue of Empress
Maria Theresia, street food