The Popular
Tradition Is That This Whirlpool Is The Abode Of A Very Malicious And
Spiteful Wassernixe, Undine Or Water Goblin, Who Delighted In Drowning
Passengers.
The scenery hereabouts is more wild and romantic than what we
have hitherto passed and bears a great resemblance to the landscape on the
Rhine between Mayence and Coblentz.
Moelk is an Abbey and a very magnificent
edifice it is, situated on an eminence which forms the angle with the river
and rises quite a pio from the water's edge; it lies quite en face to
those who approach it, descending the stream, so that the river seems to be
terminated by it. It commands a noble prospect. I had only time to inspect
hastily the church. Beyond Moelk is a range of rocks that bear a great
resemblance to a wall, and jut out a great deal towards the river. It is
called the Devil's wall from the tradition of the Devil having
endeavoured to make a wall to dam up the river. Above this wall is the
famous castle and vineyard called Spitz am Platz, and further on is the
castle of Dierenstein, situated on a mountain on the left bank of the
Danube. The ascent is very steep; this castle, now in ruins, was the place
where Richard Coeur de Lion was confined. The walls only of the castle and
part of the chapel are all that remain; we did not fail to visit a place of
such celebrity. A convent lies below it.
We brought to the night at a large village where there is an excellent inn;
and the next day, the Leopoldsberg, bursting forth to view, announced to us
the approach to Vienna. We anchored at Nussdorf, where there is a Custom
house, and from whence the distance to Vienna is about one and half mile
English. After having my trunk examined, I hired a hackney coach and drove
into Vienna. The barriers beyond the suburb are called Lines, and between
the Suburbs and the old town is an Esplanade. We entered the Suburbs by the
Waehringer Linie, and the old town by the Rothes Thor (Red gate); and
from thence I repaired to the inn Zum weissen Wolf (white Wolf) in the
Altem Fleischmarkt (old meat-market).
VIENNA, Augt. 4.
The old town of Vienna is not very large, since you can walk round its
circumference on the ramparts in two hours. It was formerly fortified, but
the French blew up the fortifications, leaving only the rampart; and by so
doing they did a thing of great utility for the Viennese, and gave to the
Austrian government an excellent opportunity of joining the old town to the
magnificent faubourgs, by filling up the esplanade which separates them
with streets and squares, which would prevent the unpleasant effects of
dust in dry, and the mud in wet weather, for this dust and mud renders the
esplanade almost at all times a disagreeable promenade, there being a sharp
wind prevalent almost the whole year at Vienna, which blows about the dust
en tourbillons. Here then was an excellent opportunity, afforded by the
blowing up of the fortifications, of paving the whole of the esplanade and
filling it up with streets. But no! the Austrian government seem determined
upon restoring the fortifications, and a considerable number of workmen are
employed. This is very silly, for these fortifications are not of the least
use against a foreign enemy, inasmuch as the enemy can always erect his
batteries among the faubourgs and need only make one parallel, the
protection and cover afforded to him by the faubourgs rendering the other
two superfluous. The faubourgs are by far the finest part of the city, and
the garrison of the old town, in endeavouring to defend it, would destroy
by every shot they should fire the fine buildings on the faubourgs. Of the
folly of making such a defence they were made fully sensible in 1809. One
of the Archdukes threw himself into the old town of Vienna, with an
intention of defending it to the last and refused to surrender. Napoleon
caused batteries to be erected on the Rennweg or Corso covered by the
church of St Charles, the Manege and Palace of the Hungarian noble guard,
all magnificent buildings in the faubourgs. He then summoned the garrison
of the old town again to surrender saying: "Every shot fired against the
besiegers destroys your own most valuable property and finest edifices."
This argument, backed by the entreaties of the citizens, had its effect and
the capitulation was signed. This shows the perfect inutility of fortifying
the old town of Vienna against a foreign enemy. Indeed a capital city
should never be fortified; it generally contains too many things of value,
ever to be exposed to the risk of a bombardment. It would seem, however,
that the object of the Austrian government in reconstructing these works
were to keep its own subjects at Vienna in check. But in this case it would
be much more advisable to construct a fortress on the heights of Kahlenberg
or of Leopoldsberg, both of which command the city and the whole expanse
below. The Turks were encamped on the Kahlenberg at the famous siege of
Vienna.
Vienna proper, the old town, is a Gothic city, but a very handsome one. The
streets are in general broad and well paved; but the Places or Squares
are small. With the exception of the Herrengasse, where the nobility
reside, the rest of Vienna is inhabited by shopkeepers and wholesale
dealers; and the shops are brilliant and well fitted up. The Kaernthner
Strasse, a long and tolerably broad street, and the Kohlmarkt present
the greatest display of wealth. Indeed the Kaernthner Strasse may be
considered as the principal street; this street and the Kohlmarkt have a
great resemblance to the finest parts of Holborn. The Graben also present
a fine display of shops and may be termed the Bond Street of Vienna.
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