Fiaker (Horse & Carriage) in Central Vienna

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The „horse and carriage" vehicles of Austria are locally known as „Fiaker". They are no sensible mean of transportation and there for purely touristy reasons. In big cities, most importantly Vienna and Salzburg, the Fiaker offer guided tours through the centre. I took this picture when I actually meant to take one of the armoury at Am Hof square in Vienna; turning around, I noticed a carriage behind me - the result can be admired above.

Fiaker tours are usually terribly expensive; I don′t like them because I pity the horses (it is disgustingly cold in Austria for six months per year and freaking hot for another three) and I can′t stand the poo-smell that can become really intense in cities with "sealed" (ie. stone) streets.

If you like horses, I would rather recommend you to check out the "Morgenarbeit", the early morning exercises of the Spanish Riding School at the Hofburg. If you happen to go to the Am Hof Square, do note the Kirche am Hof - the white building with the neo-Classical façade in the background of the picture. From its balcony, Emperor Franz II declared the end of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation upon pressure of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806.