Entries about nature

NHM - Wien Naturhistoriche is one of mirroring buildings in Ringstrasse. The second 'twin" is KHM (Kunsthistorisches Museum) - great collection of arts, one of the foremost in the world. Built in 19th cent, The Ring planning also included the project to bring together and show the vast imperial collections, so those buildings were constructed and decorated especially to serve as museums and followed the best architectural traditions of that time. Rich decorated interiors alone worth the visit and also I do like the park between those two museums, especially symmetric round fountains, benches and greenery.

I have to confess that I'm a frequent visitor in KHM (arts), but NHM is not exactly my thing - I'm not a big fun of stuffed animals. So visiting of this museum was kind of doubt, but I'm so glad that I did!

Their collection is really impressive, full, intelligent and, what I liked there, it was not "too much educational" - in the very good sense of this note. I quite hate when every object is described for visitor at the level of pre-school, especially suffering from it in art museums. I don't like to be stuffed with unnessesary information and banalities. But for those who wants to know - there are plenty of detailed information about every object & object, but it was proposed to know - not tutoring you how to see.

There are stoned shells

and stoned fish of pre-historic age.

Great collection of minerals (below)

Some of them named after birds, wearing same color.

Surprse!
We found a national park (Donau-Auen National Park) just next to the door of my mom's apartment in Vienna!

Aloooo!
That's me myself there.

The "water forest", lies in the east of Vienna (22th district) and continuous... to Bratislava.
It's one of the biggest European parks of this type. Hundreds of plants and animals, incl. beavers and huge fishes.

It's time to tell you about Donauinsel.

DONAUINSEL - SOME BACKGROUND
The Donauinsel (Danube Island) is a long, narrow artifical island, between the Danube river and the parallel excavated channel Neue Donau ("New Danube"). The island is 21km in length. The main purpose of the island however is to be part of Vienna's highly sophisticated flood protection system. As river Danube crosses the city, this has constantly been a concern for hundreds of years. Also river originallty took curve loop which was additional trouble for navigation. Danube is known for intensive water-traffic.

In 1970, a new plan was conceived and soon executed: digging an additional channel and using the spoil to build up the remaining strip of land between the straightened bed from the 19th century flood defence schemes and the newly created one. The new channel is called the Neue Donau (New Danube). The works were finished in 1988.

SPORTS & FUN

Nudity is natural. Donauinsel Nudity means freedom, happiness and good health. Many people bring to FKK areas (official nude beaches) their families, kids and dogs. It's right place for socialising, taking sunbathes and swimming. Other people are reading or feeding birds, scating or cycling, fishing, etc.

DONAUINSELFEST
The island is house of open air Donauinselfest (Music Festival)- Europe's biggest event of this kind. Usually lasts 3 days (weekend) in June. The music styles vary from stage to stage, and there are enourmous amount of stages on the island. All this is free of charge. I had oportunity to be in this festival twice, it impressive event. They say it hosts about 3 mln visitors. Madonna gave her first concert in Vienna there in front of an impressive crowd of 57,000. There are also food, beers and fireworks.

WILD LIFE
Donauinsel is green zone, located just inside the city; it's very near metro stations, train path and even some industry. But if you come early enough, you have a chance to meet there society of wild animals (hares/ wild rabbits, beavers, hedgehogs, etc)...

The tree, damaged by beaver.

... variety of birds (magpie, pheasant, kurpatka, songbirds) and water-chickens (swans, ducks, herens, gulls, etc.),

diffferent kinds of frogs, snakes, many interesting insects (big bugs and beautiful butterflies, dragonflies and, as it appeared last year, awful mosquitos!)

I mentioned few herbs (buckthorn, dog rose, linden) and we even collected some St John's wort this year. There are bushes of cornel and an amazing cover of wild flowers.

Sea Buckthorn Berries (oblepiha)