Buzzing Vienna: how museum hosts bees

There are more than 600 officially registered beekeepers and 200 million bees in Vienna. One of the Viennese roofs — Secession — has two hives. I was surprised to find out that bees here produce more than 200 kilograms of honey a year. I don't know about you, dear Steemians, but for me, a person coming from cold Russia, this sounds so great and nice.

I had a chance to climb on this beautiful roof and to check if honey is real or not.

But first things first.

For those who are not from Vienna, what is Secession?

It is a museum, gallery space now when every two mounts are two new artists present their works. Only one part stays unchanged for years is Gustav Klimt' s frieze, which was renovated some years ago.

But back in 19th century Secession was an art movement formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists. The first president of the Secession was Gustav Klimt.

The group's exhibition policy was notable for providing the first dedicated space for contemporary art in the city.

What else is significant?

The building itself attracts many tourists today. It's an icon building of Jugendstil or Art Nouveau.

It had a lavish decoration and crowned with a golden dome consisting of leaves. At the moment the museum repairs the crown now.

It is not so easy to reach the roof of a building. First, you need to climb a small staircase of the upper floor, through a tiny window to get out on an open terrace, strewn with small stones. From there, jump up to other stairs to the roof, and from it step under the famous gilded dome. This design is nothing but leaves connected with each other. If you look at the dome from the street, it will be golden, and if you stand under it on the roof, then green. Ironically, its metal leaves are the only green here. Nevertheless, this does not prevent bees from two hives annually giving about 200 kilograms of honey, 100 for each!

Vienna is buzzing. It buzzes on the roofs of the Burgtheater, the Opera, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Art History, the Town Hall, the Vienna Secession House and hundreds of other houses in the Austrian capital. More than ten years ago, the administration of Vienna decided to settle the bees in the city. The first hives appeared on the iconic buildings for the Austrian capital.