Hope you enjoy these photos of Vienna and Budapest.  We only spent three days in Vienna,  and then nearly a week in Budapest.

Vienna was grand, elegant and stylish.  The city was very busy, and decorated for Christmas.  I found it to be extremely expensive, but even still you get a big bang for the buck.  The pasties were as good as we hoped, and very decadent.  Our hotel provided breakfast was unbelievable in its variety and appearance. 

Budapest was even more to my liking.  It still is undergoing lots of infrastructure improvements, including a new subway line or two.  Many buildings have been restored, and many more are awaiting renovation.  We noticed that  there was a lot of construction behind old facades, updating without effecting the street harmony.  Lots of nooks and crannies to explore there, plus a nice situation on the Danube.  Didn't get to see as much as I hoped, but did get a real feel for the city, and can't wait to go back.  The only thing difficult was the language, which is only distantly related to Finnish, and not indo-european at all.  The food was quite good, and altough touristy, we did have an evening of gypsy violins etc. 

 

Maria Theresia's Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna. This was her summer house.

 

 

Rear facade of Schoenbrunn

 

 

Schoenbrunn looking towards the belvedere and Neptune fountain (the back yard)

 

 

Maria Theresia herself near the Hofburg (winer palace)

 

 

Schoenbrunn, a folly along a path

 

 

Goethe looking stern

 

 

Demel confections......yummmmmm

 

 

Shopping district gem

 

 

On the Kaertnerstraße

 

 

Another gem in shopping district

 

 

City Hall

 

 

Courtyard in the Hofburg.  This was the main residence of Franz Josef etc.

 

 

Gateway in the Hofburg.  Understatement seems to have been lost in Vienna. 

 

 

Budapest, the chain bridge at night

 

 

Budapest, St Steven's Basilica

 

 

A very unsteady hand took this photo inside the basilica.  Sorry.

 

 

On the way up to the Fishermen's bastion in Buda

 

 

Overcast day looking at the Parliament from Fishermen's bastion

 

 

St Mathias church in Buda

 

 

Another view of the bastion

 

 

View from the hill

 

 

Hero's square

 

 

Main entrance to the Parliament

 

 

Ministry of Agriculture.  I think it is a museum now.

 

 

Parliament hallway

 

 

Grand stairway in the neo-Gothic Parliament

 

 

The crown of St. Steven.  Said to be around 1,000 years old.

 

 

Senate chamber in the Parliament

 

 

Elegance on the Boulevard.  Waiting for a kind touch.

 

 

The Synagogue on Dohany street.  This is the 2nd largest synagogue in the world, seating over 3,000

 

 

The nave of the Synagogue

 

 

Chandelier in the Synagogue

 

 

Holocaust memorial in the courtyard.  Each leaf on the tree represents one person or family exterminated.

 

 

Looking from Buda from Pest

 

 

Bethyany Square near hotel. 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed.  Too bad the weather didn't cooperate.

 

 

Great pictures.  Those views of the Parliament across the river are impressive.

Stunning pictures

Awesome, thanks for sharing.  Did you get any sunshine over there?

awesome photos.  Seeing all these Euro pics makes me so mad that I am sitting in a cube staring at a map of Europe.  :|

I spent a summer in Vienna, and miss it very much. I can see how Vienna seems expensive if you are on a Eastern European circuit, but it could seem inexpensive if you are making a stop on a Western European circuit.

Excellent shots!