Is this baroque or renaissance?

On a chilly November day the students of the IIIC explored the architectural jewels of Vienna. The group was led by an experienced guide who understood that history was probably not the favourite hobby of teenagers. So she was very patient and explained history of the sights and the features of the different styles of architecture several times. At the end of the tour most students knew that 19th century meant “neo-something“.

The city stroll led the group from the Opera to the monument of the Holocaust, past the Albertina to the Church of the Augustine Friars, through the vast complex of the Hofburg (“Why is this wing Baroque? It looks like Renaissance.”), down Kohlmarkt, along Graben and finally to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. A lot to see and a lot to remember - most certainly the story about the rivalry between Sacher and Demel over the original recipe of the Sacher cake, the transport of dead crusaders in the Middle Ages and the “lively” history of the Sacher Hotel.