Autumn in Vienna

I used this Saturday to explore some more of the city. Neither cold, nor rain, nor wind stood in my way!

One of the flak towers from the U-bahn station.

First stop on "Sarah's City Tour:" The Augarten Flak Towers. Hitler had these towers built in the 1940s as anti-aircraft towers. They were built to be invulnerable and have walls that are about 9 feet thick. The towers also housed weapons and had windows to shoot from. The towers also provided a base for the Nazis' radar equipment. Flak towers from WWII are spread across Vienna, Berlin, and Hamburg. Imagine what the Viennese people felt when these looming monstrosities went up in the middle of their beautiful city. 

A closer view of a flak tower from the park.

2nd flak tower

I didn't even know that there was another flak tower in the same park until I got there and saw one built in a slightly different style just about a couple hundred feet from the round one.

Augarten Park with the 2nd flak tower in the background

 The park that these towers were built in is beautiful, and is near Augartenpalais, a building that has been around since 1600s (it was damaged during WWII, but has been restored). 

Augarten Park

2nd Stop: Belvedere Palace 

This palace was built for Prince Eugene around 1717. I think that it is my favorite building in Vie

nna so far. All of the palaces here have extensive gardens that are still in bloom.

         

Front of Belvedere Palace

Me in the rain at Belvedere.