The Before Sunrise Itinerary - Train to Vienna and Prater Amusement Park Imperial Vienna - Legacy of the Habsburgs The Belvedere and Schonbrunn Palace Habsburg Imperial Crypt - Tombs of Emperors and Empresses Viennese Coffee Culture Appreciation All the Extinct Animals at the Naturhistorisches Museum

One of the most memorable stops in our trip was our afternoon visit to Vienna's Naturhistorisches Museum . As a child, I was a HUGE fan of books containing pages full of photos of the different animal species. A particular interest of mine was this book showcasing all the extinct animals with the various reasons for their extinction. I had no idea that I was gonna see all of my childhood favorites that afternoon. * Opened in 1889, the Naturhistorisches Museum stands on the grounds of the Maria-Theresien-Platz , across its identical twin building, the Kunsthistorisches , Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts.

Because of the sheer efficiency of the Viennese Subway, the U-Bahn , getting around and exploring Vienna was a very pleasurable experience. And while we may have only spent 3 days in the former imperial capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I felt that we really got to cover a whole lot of ground! * St. Stephen's Cathedral , known in Austria as the Stephansdom , is Vienna's most important religious building and seat of the Roman Catholic Archiocese.

I am a HUGE fan of Cathedrals, Burial Places, and Cathedral-Crypts! See Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem See Catacombs of Paris See Notre Dame, Paris See Westminster Abbey See Wawel Cathedral and Crypt See San Agustin Church, Manila So when I read in several guide books that there was an Imperial Crypt full of Monarchs from the Holy Roman Empire , as well as members of the House of Habsburg , I just knew that we had to check it out! * The unassuming entrance to the Crypt below. You wouldn't be able to tell at all that 12 Holy Roman Emperors and 18 Empresses are actually entombed here! * Built in 1633 , the Imperial Crypt has been the burial place for family members of the House of Habsburg for Centuries. * The sarcophagi are placed and marked along a series of ten interconnected subterranean vaulted rooms. * All in all, 145 members of the House of Habsburg are buried here, including the aforementioned 12 Emperors and 18 Empresses. A

After experiencing the wonders and glory of Imperial Vienna , we proceeded to visit some of the other homes of the Habsburg monarchs . Seeing as how the Family at one point ruled ALL of continental Europe, save for France, their homes around Vienna are extravagantly and gloriously decorated. * The Belvedere is this beautiful, historic building complex that once served as the summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy . A brilliant commander and statesman, Eugene fought wars against the French and Ottomans, and was referred to by Napoleon himself as one of the seven greatest commanders in history.