I’ll try and make it quick.

Started off going to the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (Army History Museum) – A big museum dedicated to the military of Austria from around the 1600’s to WW2, or more less to the 1980’s if you include the Panzer Museum. The 4 main wings include a 1600’s wing, with displays of early riflemen, and lots of suits of armor. Another wing was around the 1700’s with Napoleon exhibits. The other two wings focus on the early 1900’s and WW1, and next of course WW2/Nazi Austria. The museum has a very macabre display in the WW1 section, the bloody and torn uniform worn by Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire the day he was shot. It also has the car he and his wife rode in, and the gun used by the assassin. The museum also has a Russian uniform worn by Napoleon, and tons of other war thingies. In a separate building a little ways away from the castle-like museum is the Panzer Museum. Panzer meaning armor, but more literally in this case – tanks. It’s a warehouse full of around 30 post WW2 tanks. From personnel carriers and medical tanks, to tank destroyers, to standard combat tanks, and specialized tanks such as speedy tanks with anti-air guns on them. Most all used by Austria, many bought from other countries and sold to other countries. After that museum was an unintentional walk along embassy row, Venezuela, Brasil, and Turkey being the main ones I saw.

After that was a lunch at an Italian place called Vapiano. I’ve seen a bunch of ’em all over Germany, but never went. When you go in they give you a plastic card with a chip in it, and you go up to one of multiple counters, one that serves pizza, one for pasta, and another one for salads and stuff, then you order and set the card down on a little scanner and it charges what you order to the card. Then after getting your food and finishing you give the card to the register at the entrance and you pay there. It’s a little strange. But it was goooood!

Then I spent just some more time walking around town for a little while before heading to the Kaisergruft – The Royal Crypt of the Habsburg Family line:

“The House of Habsburg (/ˈhæpsbɜːrɡ/; German: [ˈhaːpsbʊɐ̯k]; traditionally spelled Hapsburg in English), also called the House of Austria, was one of the most influential and distinguished royal houses of Europe. The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was continuously occupied by the Habsburgs from 1438 until their extinction in the male line in 1740. The house also produced emperors and kings of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Kingdom of England (Jure uxoris King), Kingdom of Germany, Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Croatia, Kingdom of Illyria, Second Mexican Empire, Kingdom of Ireland (Jure uxoris King), Kingdom of Portugal, and Kingdom of Spain, as well as rulers of several Dutch and Italian principalities. From the 16th century, following the reign of Charles V, the dynasty was split between its Austrian and Spanish branches. Although they ruled distinct territories, they nevertheless maintained close relations and frequently intermarried.”

It’s definitely the biggest crypt I’ve been in, and I’ve been in a lot. It has about 150 of some of the gnarliest and most decorated sarcophagi I’ve seen. (Franz Ferdinand and his wife are not buried here, as they traditionally would be, they are in his castle in Artstetten, almost halfway between Linz and Vienna.

Then I spent a bit more time walking around central Vienna. I tried to go check out the crypt under St. Stephan’s Cathedral, but there was a mass in progress, and touring is verboten during mass. That’s about it.

Another round of German city with a goofy name! Though this is a castle, not a city: The castle is called Burg Hornberg! I just thought its funny for having both burg and berg in it. (Butg = castle, berg = rock, and sometimes also castle.) This is the castle of the famous knight Gottfried von Berlichingen, or Götz of the Iron Hand. A major badass Landsknecht (mercenary knight) who fought in tons of battles, In one eventually his arm was blown off by cannon fire. He survived and had his arm replaced with an iron one. Read more about him here: Gottfried von Berlichingen

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