Austria has proven to be a pretty spectacular country. It was never really on my radar as somewhere I had to visit. Places like Spain and Greece and Hungary still top that list, but thanks to our friends Brian and Sam, we were first exposed to this marvelous country this summer when we visited Salzburg. Tony and I went back recently, this time to Vienna, and it did not disappoint.
After the success I had in Lisbon with doing a walking tour first thing, we followed suit in Vienna. I highly recommend this for anywhere new you may visit because it really helps you get your bearings and understand where all of the important stops are. You then know how to make your way through the city for the rest of your trip.
The tour we did was hosted by Vienna Explorer. It was 2.5 hours and included really interesting information on the architecture and history of the city. We saw the gorgeous St. Stephen’s cathedral, walked through Heldenplatz and the Volksgarten, saw the Spanish Riding School, and learned the proper way to take a coffee (order a melange).
After the very helpful tour, we went back to the hotel to relax a bit and then grabbed a late but authentic Austrian lunch. Tony topped it off with homemade apple strudel. Given it was a Sunday, though, there wasn’t much more we could do on that first day, so we grabbed some Viennese wine and stayed in.
The next day was when the rain started. Unfortunately for us, it didn’t stop until the day we left. We began the morning by heading to one of the major coffee chains in Vienna, Aida, to try our hand at a melange. It was quite delicious! And while the rain was a bit disheartening, Vienna has a lot of indoor things to offer, so after our coffee we went to the Haus der Musik to learn more about the very famous composers that came out of Austria.
On Tuesday we spent our time palace hopping. The Hapsburgs and family of Marie-Therese had an abundance of palaces across the city. We did a full tour of the Schonbrunn Palace which was incredible. It reminded me a lot of Versailles in the way it was laid out, and as a huge fan of Marie Antoinette, I loved seeing the paintings of her as a child. These tours are always much more helpful with an audio guide which I was glad I grabbed. There was, however, one very creepy room that showed the last Empress, Sisi, and her long dark hair. It was a statue of her with her back to the crowd and I did not stay in this room long.
After that we trekked in the rain to the Belvedere Palace. This palace was featured in the beginning of the Marie Antoinette movie, and was stunning in it’s own right. I really wanted to spend more time in the garden because it too looked incredible but sadly the rain did not allow for it.
Our final night we had a nice, light meal at Weinfach Vinothek and took a great bottle of Viennese wine back with us. We spent our last morning enjoying a final melange before making our way back to the airport.
Vienna is such an incredible place, and made me fall in love with Austria even further. It has truly become one of my favorite countries to visit and I greatly look forward to when I can return.
Interested in traveling to Austria? From Zurich, Salzburg is an easy train ride, and the flight to Vienna was about an hour. Definitely try the coffee! Bike and/or walking tours are highly encouraged in both cities to really see and understand the beauty these historical places have to offer.
Pfiat di!
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