Vienna: Vienna Boys’ Choir, Philhamonic, State Opera, and Imperial Armoury

Day 14 of 18… We were extremely lucky to have been able to attend the year-end Sunday mass celebration at the Hofburgkapelle, the main and oldest chapel in Hofburg, Vienna’s Imperial Palace.  It’s not easy to get seats to the mass because the chapel has a small seating capacity and many are dying to attend this particular celebration.  We booked 4 months in advance and I  recall that we were already among the last eleven people to get seats.

This celebration was extra special for us because the mass (C-Major Mass/Credo-Messe) was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom we learned so much about while we were in Salzburg, and because the music was provided by Wiener Hofmusikkapelle (Vienna Court Music Band).  Hofmusikkapelle is an elite group of musicians which includes the Vienna Boys’ Choir, male members of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic.  The mass was intimate, the homily was short and the choir’s voices were angelic.

After the mass we headed to Hofjagd-und Rüstkammer, the Imperial Armoury.  You see, this is not on the list of the top attractions in Vienna but our boys wanted this in our itinerary.  Our teen historian believes that armouries are a great way to learn about the Habsburg Dynasty’s glorious past.

Our day did not end there, in the afternoon we explored the Habsburg’s summer palace – Schönbrunn.  That’s next… Meanwhile here are some pictures at the chapel and the armoury.

Some tips:

1.  The mass at Hofburgkapelle is something special, book early. Here’s the website  www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at
2. The Imperial Armoury is a great place for kids, especially if you have boys who pretend to be knights.  Here’s the website www.khm.at
3. Cafe Hofburg is right in the middle of the Imperial Palace complex.  It is part of the Landtmann group which has been serving authentic Viennese coffee since 1873.

–xoxo–

Here are the other posts on our holiday in Bavaria and Austria:

1. Munich: Start of our family’s tales from last winter
2. Munich: Viktualienmarkt Biergarten
3. Munich: BMW Museum and BMW Welt
4. Munich: Theatine Church and Odeonplatz
5. Munich: Christmas Markets
6. Munich: Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall
7. Munich: City Aparthotel München
8. Salzburg: Birthplace of Mozart and Silent Night
9. Salzburg: Hohensalzburg Fortress 
10. Salzburg: Residenzplatz Christmas Market
11. Salzburg: Salzburg Cathedral
12. Salzburg: Silent Night 200 at Salzburg Museum
13. Salzburg: Silent Night Tour by Bob’s Special Tour
14. Salzburg: Silent Night at Oberndorf and Laufen
15. Salzkammergut: Road Trip to Hallstatt
16. Salzkammergut: Christmas Market at St Wolfgang
17. Salzburg: Krampus Run at Hellbrunn Palace
18. Salzburg: Imlauer Hotel Pitter Salzburg
19. Obergurgl: A Week in the Austrian Alps
20. Obergurgl: Chalet Obergurgl Luxury Apartments
21. Obergurgl: Hohe Mut Alm Mountain Restaurant
22. Obergurgl: Snowstorm on Christmas Eve
23. Obergurgl: Day After the Storm
24. Obergurgl: Snowshoeing
25. Hochgurgl: Tobogganing
26. Hochgurgl: Hochgurgl Cable Car Ride
27. Vienna: First Impressions and Vienna Christmas Market
28. Vienna: Hofburgkapelle and Imperial Armoury
29. Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace
30. Vienna: Imperial Treasury and Hofburg
31. Vienna: Prater, Before Sunset
32. Vienna: New Year’s Eve Fireworks and Waltz
33. Vienna: Hilton Vienna Plaza
34. Stuttgart: The Mercedes-Benz Museum
35. Stuttgart: The Porsche Museum