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Krakow, Poland

Part of Wawal Castle.

The foundations of destroyed parts of Wawal Castle during the Austrian Empire’s sacking of Krakow.

One of Jagiellonian University’s many buildings.

Facade of a church as I approached the city center.

St. Mary’s Basilica, perhaps Krakow’s most iconic building and church.

Vienna, Austria

A statue of St. Francis under a sunburst and standing atop a defeated Turk. It is above the Capistran Chancel of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna’s most important church and the seat of their archbishop. It is from this pulpit that St. John Capistrano and the Hungarian General John Hunyadi urged action against the encroachments of Muslims on Christiandom, trying to begin another crusade in 1456. The speech resulted in a successful defense and defeat of Turkish forces besieging Belgrade on the 22 of July, which is remembered in Hungary as a national memorial day.

A fountain I thought was lovely in the mild spring sun.

A statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), the great writer of the German Romantic movement. His most famous works are “Faust” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” Goethe was born in Frankfurt, but like much of the Germanic artists of his time, he spent much of his time in Vienna.

A statue in honor of the great composer and musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). Though born in Salzburg, Mozart spent most of his life in Vienna — the center of the musical world during the late 1700s and early 1800s — where his artistic legacy is celebrated to this day. Another famous composer not born in Vienna but who spent much time composing here was Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), who was born in Bonn, Germany.

The Hofburg Palace, home of Austria’s government and a fantastic library. I couldn’t get a great photo because the area in front of the palace was being cleaned after what looked like a massive farmers market.

This is Vienna’s Museum of Natural History, a splendid example of architecture from the Austrian Empire.

The front of the Schönbrunn Palace, a Baroque-style summer residence for Austria’s royalty. It first came to royal hands in 1569 when Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II bought the land. The palace wasn’t added to an existing mansion between 1638 and 1643. The current palace was completed in the 1750s under order of Maria Theresa, and its current look was established by Franz I, the first emperor of the Austrian Empire.

The lands of the Schönbrunn Palace are now a public park, and the gardens and lawns mingle beautifully with the imperial architecture. The pavillion on the hilltop is called a Gloriette. Destroyed in World War II, it has since been restored twice and now has a cafe with views of all Vienna.

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Eric Linus Kaplan

Writer, philosopher, some of my past credits include, YOUNG SHELDON, THE BIG BANG THEORY, FUTURAMA, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, and MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE "Does Santa Exist: A Philosophical Investigation". Share thoughts and feelings here. Podcast: Terrifying Questions and How Not to Be Terrified By Them

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