alan L | 03 Jan 2017 12:07 p.m. PST |
Would welcome suggestions on what to see in Vienna from a military perspective. In particular, what remains of the battlefields of Aspern/Essling and Wagram? Alan |
Dave Jackson | 03 Jan 2017 12:40 p.m. PST |
First, you need to go here: hgm.at/en.html terrific museum. The Hofburg has that famous statue of Archduke Charles out front. Having been to both those battlefields, they are well worth seeing to get a better idea of the lay of the land etc. Drive around them, the mural at Deutsches-Wagram is there, I think the tower at Markgrafneusidel is still there. The church at Aspern is there as well as the granary at Essling. And there are a few monuments. I also did Eckmuhl, a valuable trip as you can see for yourself the description of the dips in the terrain etc. We also did the rest of the 1809 campaign along the Danube. Ebelsberg was interesting……and then, while not specific to the campaign, the Abbey/Monastery is fabulous! |
thistlebarrow2 | 03 Jan 2017 12:57 p.m. PST |
We visited the battlefields of Aspern, Wagram and Austerlitz in 2002. You will find a blog of our visit here link On the right of the blog you will find an index under the heading Labels. 01, 02, 03, 04 and 05 cover Aspern and Wagram. It is a few years since our visit, but I doubt that it has changed much. To do justice to the three battlefields involves covering a lot of ground. We hired bicycles for our visit to Aspern and Wagram and found it a great way to do it. You are not restricted to where a car can go, and you get a great feel for the ground. We had a great two weeks and I would recommend all three for a very rewarding and enjoyable extended holiday. Hope that you enjoy your visit |
Garryowen | 03 Jan 2017 1:05 p.m. PST |
I could be mistaken, but I though I had read that the church at Apsern had been rebuilt. Tom |
Mollinary | 03 Jan 2017 1:53 p.m. PST |
Dave Jackson is right on the money! Start at the Army Museum, it is an absolute goldmine, one of the best such museums in Europe. I was there only a couple of weeks ago and, although it is not your period of interest, the whole of their WW1 collections have just been updated and are magnificent – starting of course with Franz Ferdinanand's car and uniform. I lived in Vienna from 2001-2005 and his descriptions of Wagram and Aspern apply pretty well to my time there. The key is preparation. Get yourself a good modern map and map the locations you want to see onto it before you go – you will not regret it. Have a great time! Mollinary |
BTCTerrainman | 03 Jan 2017 2:07 p.m. PST |
There are also museums in Deutsch-Wagram, Aspern (next to the church) and Essling (in the granary). The later two are only open on Sunday if I recall (timed our visit right). A very flat battlefield without a lot of notable features compared to many. The HGM is a must. |
Der Alte Fritz | 03 Jan 2017 2:31 p.m. PST |
Aspern is now a developed suburb of Vienna and the church is about all that is left of it, I.e. No longer is there an open flat plain around the site. The Granary is still there but it is also surrounded by houses. We actually had a hard time finding the Granary amid all of the building development. I did not have time to visit the Wagram site. |
valleyboy | 03 Jan 2017 4:24 p.m. PST |
I'll second the army museum, I spent hours there in April A few tasters or spoilers depending on your perspective on my blog in 3 parts link |
Gonsalvo | 03 Jan 2017 8:38 p.m. PST |
@ Alan – I am *so* jea;ous; have to get to Vienna some day! @ valleyboy – thanks for some great pictures there! |
alan L | 04 Jan 2017 2:58 a.m. PST |
Many thanks for all the tips. Alan |
wrgmr1 | 04 Jan 2017 11:29 a.m. PST |
HGM is on my bucket list. Thistlebarrow- thanks for the post great reads. Retire to Spain 🇪🇸 living the dream! Vallyboy- wonderful photos, I'll be referencing these when in the future I get back to painting Austrians. |