What is behind this door?
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Let’s find out…
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The Palais Ferstel is a palace in Vienna’s inner city, but you have to go looking for it. When walking along Herrengasse, it doesn’t loudly announce itself (it does do that on Freyung though, were the main entrance of the buiding is located).
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All you see is here is a dark-grey wall and tall windows – and an intricate wooden door. Open it and the gorgeous arcades, the fountain and the glass ceiling inside are there to enchant you.
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I’ve passed by thousands of times, but never went in. I’m glad I did now.
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We are lucky in this city to be surrounded by awe-inspiring beauty behind (almost) every door.
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Are there secret doors where you live? What would you like to find behind them?
Olfactoria's Travels 
One of my favorite places in Vienna! I can get chocolates from around the world including allergy free there. A new French restaurant has opened up which is delicious. I love your beautiful photos!
The chocolate shop is really the icing on the cake in this beautiful place. 🙂
Vienna is such a beautiful city with amazing architecture. I hope to be able to visit some day. Thanks for sharing your world with us.
I hope you will come visit some day!
Behind a door like that I would like to find a Perfumeland Convention.
Ha, me too! 🙂
Me three!!!!
Vienna is one of my favorite cities.
Hear that? It is calling you… 😉
I have been to Europe many times over yet never to Vienna…..absolutely stunning pictures and I am longing to be there! One of these days 🙂 !!!!
It is a stunning place. Looking forward to meeting you here one of these days… 🙂
If I was younger and single and childless I would talk Daisy into accompanying me tomorrow 🙂 !!But alas I have too many responsibilities and too many individuals to take care of (including hubby) so I can only dream of beautiful Vienna!
I know that situation so well. 😦
I’m up for it! You and Birgit will find me shoving pastries in my mouth. I might look like Cookie Monster, but I will smell amazing 🙂
Yay!!! 😀
Pretty place. I don’t know of any secret doors where I live. I guess that’s because they’re secret. More likely, there just aren’t any around here. Vienna seems way more interesting than where I live.
Lol, who knows? Keep looking! 😉
We have no secret doors here, unless you count the beach, which is a door to the mysterious ocean. The towns here are just too new to have any patina but salt-spray crust and rust. However, there is a little divey hole-in-the-wall place nearby which looks so scruffy you’d think the Health Department would have condemned it. But inside (equally scruffy decor), they’ve got the best Italian food south of NYC! Of course, if you go to Orlando, you can find Faux European at Epcot, but that’s just kinda surreal….
Epcot is a bit creepy, but fun as well!
I’d love to have a pizza with you at that tiny, scruffy Italian restaurant.
The pizza is the best, and they also have the most wonderful specials with our local scallops and crab. I always look forward to eating there. If you visit here someday, we’ll take you there. Definitely doesn’t count as hidden beauty, though, except in the gustatory sense!
Yum. I can’t wait!
Ah, yes…I believe I have several bookshelves full of secret doors…
Me too. 🙂
🙂
I will never tire of pics of Vienna. What a wonderful place to live. I’m sure London has it’s fair share of secret doors. Finding a secluded garden behind one is what I’d like to find.
We also have some beautiful arcades like the one you’ve photographed, such as Burlington Arcade and those in the Covent Garden Market Building. They make shopping a real pleasure, especially as they are home to Penhaligon’s and L’Artisan Parfumeur respectively.
London must be full of secret doors and hideaways, with many a secret garden behind them too probably.
It is such a beautiful city (oh, I want to go!)…
Thank you so much for showing what is behind that door! All of this enchantment and a gourmet chocolate shop? Swoon!!
You’re welcome! The chocolate shop is amazing, I could live there (I really want to! 😉 )
Dear, the Palais Ferstel is a hidden gem I entered it by chance. I remember the chocolate shop in it, but I think it was closed at the time of my visit.
Vienna is, together with Rome, my favorite city in the world, but you already knew that.
Love,
Caro
Dear Caro, so glad you saw it!
By pure chance. I happened to walk into it. Oh, dear, I always hear the siren song of Viena calling me.
It would be so lovely to meet you here, Caro! xo
Indeed, Birgit.
We could go to the Demel, to the Albertina and then fragrance shopping.
Food, art and fragrance are equally important to me.
xo
Caro
That sounds like a perfect day to me!
Here in Clemson there are no secret beauties hidden behind closed doors. There is one small church that is charming – Saint Andrew’s Catholic; the other lovely ones have burned or been torn down. The town with many enclosed beautiful spaces is in New Orleans with courtyards not visible from the street.
You never know what is behind closed doors. I think one hidden beauty in Clemson might be your perfume collection. 🙂
The little fountain in that passage is one of my favourites in whole Vienna (not to mention the chocolate shop… 😉 )
I can’t believe I never saw it before (I always went in on Freyung, never on Herrengasse)!
thank you for this series of hidden beauties of Vienna, I will keep my eyes open for them the next time I’m there again!
You are welcome, Bee! Glad you enjoy them!
In Gmunden-am-Traunsee is a very small Jewish Cemetery. It is next to, attached by a wall actually, to the main large cemetery. It has it´s own gated entrance, which one needs a key for.
Otherwise it is not open to the public. I have been caring for it over the last few years. The majority of people do not know that it is there. It is definitely a hidden beauty. Very peaceful and very poignant . Lg. xxxx
That sounds beautiful, V.
I know of such a hidden cemetery in another small town in Upper Austria too that made a huge impression on me when I visited it as a child.
there is one in Vienna too, very small, very neglected, hidden in the inner court of a nursing/retirement home. I have been wondering if it is going to be one of your next subjets…
oops, sent with the wrong address
I haven’t thought about that, but it is a great idea!
Love the fountain! Especially illuminated at night.
In that arcade I would wish to find a tea room (can you have too many?) As for secret doors where I live, the only one I can think of that never opens (as opposed to certain days of the week, like our magnificent 11th C church, St Chad’s), is the door of the Masonic Hall. And there are one or two other doors that I have my suspicions about in the personal services sphere, if you know what I mean…. : – )
When you are in Vienna the next time, we’ll go there (it’s in the same structure as your beloved wax-man too!) 🙂
Birgit, I love that mermaid fountain!!! And the vaulted ceilings, too.
There are no secret doors like that where I live (no architecture I would describe as being grand). But there are many places I would describe as being artsy and interesting, and your post reminds me to get out and explore them.
Artsy and interesting sounds good! I hope you find many surprises close to home.
what an amazing place – I’ve been to Vienna once, but did’t see this – maybe next time.
I can’t think of a secret door, but I have a secret garden (in Regents park) that I love!
A secret garden sounds wonderful, I must go looking for it next time I’m in London.
the garden of St John’s Lodge – well worth a visit
Thanks for the tip!
How gorgeous! I feel like there are hidden pockets of beauty everywhere, but they are especially breathtaking in Europe.
Thank you! I used to think the same thing about the US, but now I think they are distributed equally throughout. 😉
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