Beautiful Flying Machines in Vienna

Photo credit: David Clode on Unsplash

Everyone has heard of Airbus, Boeing, Zeppelin and Rolls Royce but how about Morpho Peleides, Caligo Eurilochus, Rumanzovia, and Monarch? These are the names of some of the butterflies which you can experience, year round, if you happen to be in Vienna, Austria.

Right in the centre of the city, the Kaiser's private palm house has been turned into a magnificent flight area for tropical butterflies from all around the world. The actual building is an archaeological gem, an extravagant 19^th century Jugendstil construction, recognized throughout Europe as one of the most magnificent buildings of that style. Once inside, you have entered the amazing world of tropical butterflies. It takes a couple of minutes to adjust to the new environment, as the temperature is a constant 26 °C but the high humidity makes it feel tropical.

The vegetation is also tropical and you can hear a waterfall crashing down, it is an environment which excites all of one's senses. Suddenly as if from nowhere, butterflies come whizzing past. The blue Morpho, the brown Caligo, the red and black Rumanzovia and many more. At any one time the Schmetterlinghaus is home to around 500 butterflies of about thirty different species. This does not mean that they are all airborne at the same time. Some will be flying looking for food, mates or perhaps just enjoying the magnificence of their home, whilst others will be sitting sipping nectar from flowers, resting on leaves or sucking on sliced bananas and apples.