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.
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