Our day started with a lecture about ethics hosted by Dr. Lauterbach in preparation for our trip tomorrow to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Ethics became a hot topic that had to be focused on due to the actions that took place during World War II, specifically with the experiments done on the prisoners of war. This is when the Nuremburg Code was developed in the hopes that these inhumane experiments could not be done again. It seems like common sense to us now but before this time, there was no such thing as informed consent or free choice when it came to research. Many individuals may assume that ethics and morals can be used synonymously but there is a large distinction between the two terms that has to do with whether or not actions can be justified. This led to the Belmont Report which further describes respect for persons, beneficence, and justice when it comes to performing experiments ethically.
Since this was our last day in Austria and there were so many things to choose from, each of us went with a different group to different destinations. This was partially so we can inform the readers of more of this wonderful place. One of the spots we went was the Schoenbrunn Castle, which was the summer palace for the royal family. The other spot was outside of Vienna, called the Seegrotte Hinterbruhl (with a side trip to the Burg Liechtenstein Castle).
Libby's journey:
After a short Metro ride, I arrived at the beautiful Schoenbrunn Palace. I was really excited to go to this because as a child I watched the cartoon Princess Sissi which was based off of the Austrian Princess Elisabeth's relationship with her cousin Franz Joseph. Our audio guided tour took us through many rooms inside, including the room Mozart first played for Queen Maria Theresa. We also saw the room where Franz Joseph died, sadly after many of his family had been killed including his beloved wife, Sissi who was assassinated. I was also able to see the room where Sissi spent most of her days in the summer palace where she hid from her aunt and mother-in-law, Queen Sophie who was very critical of Sissi's actions.
We were also able to walk in the gardens behind the palace and we walked up to the Gloriette which gave us a beautiful view of the palace and the city of Vienna. I can certainty see why the royals enjoyed their summer home. I would highly recommend the visit to both the palace and the gardens to any who visit Austria.
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| View of Schoenbrunn Palace |
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| The Gloriette |
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| The Orange Garden Pathways |
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| The Labyrinth |
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| Group Picture! |
Kaylee's journey:
The journey that the other half of the group went on was not an easy subway trip. It involved a subway, to a train station (which we almost missed the train) to a bus (which we needed help finding) to walking a short distance. The second part of our adventure was a walk which led us to asking directions, hoping others spoke English and could assist us in our search for the Castle. A big shout out to Kara for once again finding such a great spot in the outskirts of Vienna. Another shout out to someone on Trip Advisor for giving us bus numbers and advice of how to get to the Seegrotte Hinterbruhl.
The first part of the trip was to the Seegrotte Hinterbruhl which was an underground mine that also included springs and lakes underneath. We went on a partial English tour and were able to walk around the entire mine as well as take a short boat ride through the bigger underground lake. It was very cold under the ground and we of course, were used to the Vienna weather we had experienced earlier this week in the 90s. Fortunately for me, a very nice English speaking Italian lent me a blanket from the site which kept me warm for the duration of our time underground. This site related to the lecture earlier due to the fact that prisoners of war worked in the mines, along with blind horses, to create war plane parts for the Nazi party. Once the war began to end, the Nazi party bombed the area to hide the hidden location from the Allied Forces. It took 3 years to return the mines to their original condition to be used as a tourist attraction.
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| A spot in the mines. |
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| Parts of the Nazi plane. |
On a side note, the Disney movie "The Three Musketeers" was partially filmed in this location!
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| The boat used in the Disney Movie! |
The second part of the trip included a partially uphill walk to the Castle, however, once we got there I knew it was well worth it. There was a festival going on within the park which we got to enjoy music and people watching as we climbed up the side of the mountain that it was located on to enjoy a spectacular view of the entire city and take some really great photos.
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| Burg Liecthestein! |
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| Our view from the top! |
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| Group selfie! |
Overall, both Libby and I had a great day at our respective sites and were able to fill each other in and talk about what a wonderful time we have had in Austria (where there are no kangaroos) and how we will miss it! On the other hand, we also look forward to the rest of our travels and going to Germany early in the morning!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and we hope you enjoy!
Kaylee & Libby
Wow! You girls captured gorgeous photos! So cool to have 2 different perspectives on the day.
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