Beautiful Butterflies in Vienna

Our day-and-a-half Viennese whirlwind adventure has taken a not so unexpected turn when we came across a beautifully preserved greenhouse just a stone’s throw from Hofburg Palace.

We needed shelter from the rain that is literally enveloping the city of Vienna in a water curtain. Our bellies are satisfied (Eating our way through Vienna) and we really didn’t fancy walking too far in this torrential downpour.

I’ve read about Schmetterlinghaus on Tripadvisor and, I must say, there were quite a few reviews that were not very positive at all. Both the Hubby and I absolutely adore butterflies and nature so this really was a no-brainer.

€7 pp may seem a bit steep for some – especially since the area is not very big, however, we can appreciate that there is quite a bit of upkeep involved so we thought it was reasonable.

Once inside, we had to take our coats off as it was really toasty inside. The first thing we noticed was the chrysalis that was kept behind glass right by the entrance. I was truly amazed to think that these brown, papery, leaf-like structures will become such elegant and colourful creatures.

Everywhere we looked, the butterflies were swooping around. Some were resting, some were eating drinking and others were just flapping their wings whilst sitting on the floor. We spent a good half an hour just in the first five metres of entry! We were mesmerised by the beautiful colours and the flair of these beautiful butterflies.

Some people on Tripadvisor complained that the flowers were fake and that the place was small, yet they don’t realise that flowers don’t bloom year-round. They don’t realise that if the space were much bigger, they might not see any butterflies as they will be too scattered around.

We went to the upper level that overlooked the entire room and gazed for the longest time at the beauty of it all. The sound of the water cascading over the little waterfall brought peace and tranquility to the afternoon. The vibrant green of the exotic plants makes you feel like you are in the middle of the Amazon jungle. The little bursts of colour fluttering about this oasis is just rounding off this perfect picture of serenity.

Just as we were about to leave the Hubby was held hostage by a Blue Morpho Butterfly that came to sit on his leg. The butterfly must’ve really liked the blue colour of Hubby’s jeans as it clung blissfully unaware of our imminent departure for a good ten minutes. Magical.

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