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Italy, Florence: Florence’s City Hall
It is free to wander thru the Cortile (courtyard) di Michelozzi of the Palazzo Vecchio (townhall of Florence). One reason to come here is to see a copy of Michaelangelo’s statue of David. The original sat here from 1504 to 1873, when it was moved to the Accademia Gallery. This replica erected in 1910 now stands in its place.
The first courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio was designed in 1453 by Michelozzo. The frescoes on the walls were painted in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for the wedding celebration of Francesco I de’ Medici, the eldest son of Cosimo I de’ Medici, to Archduchess Johanna of Austria, sister of the Emperor Maximilian II. They depict cities of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy: Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Vienna, Hall in Tirol, Freiburg im Breisgau and Konstanz.
Austria, Vienna: Mountain Views from the Bus
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You never mind long bus rides – this one from Vienna to Venice – when this is the kind of mountain scenery you are passing.
Austria, Vienna: Glorious Surroundings Lead to Glorious Decisions
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How can you sit and deliberate laws when you are distracted by all this fabulous art and architecture in the Rathaus (City Hall) in Vienna? To get on a tour, make sure to sign up ahead of time.
Austria, Vienna: Bumping into Beauty in the Least Expected Places
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You can take a free tour of the Rathaus (Vienna City Hall) and bump into surprisingly beautiful things like this chandelier. Make sure to sign up ahead of time.
Austria, Vienna: Fun Photo Shot in Vienna
Some people wear hats when touring, others wear a statue of an Empress.
Austria, Vienna: Who’s Watching You in Vienna?
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Look up when you are in Vienna – glorious statues tower over you from every perch.
Austria, Vienna: The Wonder of a Hapsburg Palace
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Even jaded tour guides (Martin from Trafalgar) who have been to palaces so many times still look up in awe at the wonder of it all.
Austria, Vienna: Driving in Style in Vienna
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In Vienna, you get the privilege of traveling in style – that is, 19th century Royal Hapsburg style.
Cosmos Tour: Prague, Vienna Budapest – Red Bull from Austria
In 1976 in Thailand, Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced a drink called Krating Daeng whose main ingredient is taurine. Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz visited Thailand in 1982 and noticed that the drink cured his jet lag. In 1984, Mateschitz co-founded Red Bull GmbH with Yoovidhya, modifying the ingredients to suit Western tastes, and launched it in Austria in 1987. Red Bull is the highest selling energy drink in the world.
Cosmos Tour: Prague Vienna Budapest – Prague Astronomical Clock
Walking through the streets of Prague, you will come across the Astronomical Clock. Each hour, the wooden figures of apostles appear in the windows and some of the sculptures move. When the apostles finish their story, the golden rooster crows and shakes its wings, the bell rings and the clock chimes the hour.
An urban myth which went on for centuries was that when the Prague Councillors found out that the 15th century clock maker Hanus (Jan of Ruze) was going to make another clock, they became jealous and blinded him. However in 1961, the real artist was discovered in an old document which described the astronomical dial and says it was made by Mikulas of Kadan in 1410.