Schönbrunn is such a beautiful place. Though it is hot and muggy Jan, Nicole and I with some other students decided that now would be a perfect time to go visit the Schönbrunn Zoo! I will be honest and tell you that I think zoo’s are really fun. I have been going to zoo’s all my life and it never gets old to me. The Schönbrunn Zoo is definitely a special zoo. It was founded in 1752 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and is the oldest zoo in the world. Most of its architecture reflects the baroque era but there are also many modern buildings too. Both World Wars negatively affected the zoo causing many animals to die by starvation or bombings. Today the zoo is doing well and is very popular.
What I found amazing about the zoo is how close you can be to the animals. In a U.S. zoo, a person is at least 100 feet away from an animal. Here the animals were barely a foot away. It was very impressive to see Giant Panda’s, Jaguars, Hippo’s and so many more animals so close. It is amazing that all these different types of animals can live in the wild and hunt for food. What I also thought was interesting was the shape of the zoo it’s self. The zoo is in the shape of sliced pie, the cut outs are the roads and the “pie” is the animal enclosures. In the center of the zoo is a baroque cafe house that used to be the imperial breakfast house.
Polar bears!
Tigers!
Hippo!
After the zoo the group proceeded through the Schönbrunn Gardens and up to the top of the hill. It was very hot out but the view was worth it. I wish I could live like these Kings and Queens. It is mind blowing to think of the gardens they were able to walk, ride and relax in. Schönbrunn seems like a palace out of a fairy tale book.
A beautiful fountain in Schönbrunn
The Palace itself!
The gardens in Schönbrunn are shaped after the French style of Versailles. This form is characterized by symmetry and imposing order over nature. I am not really a fan of this style, I prefer the English style of gardens which are just as well cared for but mimic nature not dominance over it. I am jealous that the Viennese have such an amazing place to relax and exercise. To many cities in the U.S. do not have such parks.
No comments:
Post a Comment