Vienna, Austria
Rear of Schloss Schonbrunn.
35mm film photo by Hunter.
I intended for this blog post to be posted two weeks ago now. But sometimes life begs you to pause and I’ve been flowing with that and trying not to feel too guilty about not meeting my self-imposed expectations…which is not my strong suit! But I am SO EXCITED to share some of this beautiful city with you. I first traveled to Vienna for about a week while studying abroad just a month after graduating high school. I returned for a full week while studying abroad in college, again for a few days with Hunter, and finally/most recently while with our friends and family after our wedding! I have loved finding pieces of this city that truly feel like home, bringing me so much joy and peace. And I have also thoroughly enjoyed the fact that every time I return, I discover something new and unexpected. It is a city that mixes old with new in such a magnificent way. And it’s definitely on my list of top five places I would love to live someday. Even if that dream never becomes a reality, I will certainly be back and I hope you will have the chance to visit as well!
National Library inside of the Hofburg.
35mm photo by Hunter.
To visit
One thing I love about this city is how densely packed so many beautiful and important sites are. If you have the opportunity to stay right downtown, you will be able to see and do so much even within a short walk. There are a few locations that require traveling in various directions away from downtown, but those short trips are not very time-consuming either and the public transportation is extremely reliable and accessible.
The main palace, the Hofburg, is right in the thick of downtown Vienna. This building alone houses so many places to visit. My favorite among them is the National Library, which is a must see on your visit to Vienna. With hidden rooms behind bookshelf doors, a lot of history, and a beautiful ceiling fresco, you will feel like you are transported straight into Beauty and the Beast. Another favorite to visit here is the Spanish Riding School, where you can see the Lipizzaner stallions if they happen to be hosting performances during your visit. I love this experience because, as a kid, we used to see the stallions perform near my hometown in Massachusetts. To experience them in Vienna feels like a full circle, dream come true moment that I could never have fathomed. A few parts of the Hofburg that I have never visited are the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Treasury, where the crown jewels are displayed. There is also a chapel specifically for the palace, and more locations that I am sure I am missing! In Michaelerplatz, behind the Hofburg, you can find Roman ruins which have been left for public display in a recessed part of the center of the square.
A nearby extension of the Hofburg is the Schmetterlinghaus, or Butterfly House. Being surrounded by flying butterflies was simultaneously so beautiful and quite creepy for me – I think I have one of those classic aversion to flying things, even though these in particular are harmless and gorgeous. The building itself, the plants and displays, and all of the butterflies were a beautiful experience. One of the many parks to visit in Vienna is the Volksgarten, where you can easily spend an afternoon lying in the grass with friends, snacking or reading or chatting. The Burggarten is perfect to wander through and admire the flowers and surrounding architecture, including the Burgtheater.
The Albertina museum is located downtown and houses a variety of art, with rotating exhibitions. It’s front entrance is a mixture of old and new architecture, and the museum itself has many stunning pieces. It has permanent collections featuring Monet and Picasso, as well as many other talented and well-known artists.
The clocktower at the front of the Rathaus (City Hall).
35mm photo by Hunter.
Across the street from the Burgtheater is the city hall, or Rathaus. This building is so impressive, inside and out. There is a central garden that is worth seeing, which offers a view of even more of its beautiful architecture. The building also houses a paternoster, a unique elevator style featuring a chain of cabinets that rotate up and down through a building, allowing you to simply step off at whichever floor you need. They host seasonal installations in front of the Rathaus. At year end, a Christmas market sets up here. In winter time, there is an elaborate ice skating rink, featuring a large central rink and off-shooting ice paths. In summer, it’s a film festival. In the fall, it is a circus set up with Oktoberfest style booths. There are always many food and drink options along with whatever the main attraction is. No matter the season, it is worth stopping by to see what is being featured and all of the food that they have is surprisingly excellent.
The Parlament building is an impressive sight to behold – it is a Greek style building that houses the Austrian Parliament. I was able to take a tour of this building’s interior on my first visit to Vienna, and it is just as impressive as the exterior.
The Votivkirche is a beautiful church near the Rathaus. Also nearby, in the other direction, is the MuseumsQuartier. Here you will find the massive and impressive Museum of Natural History and Art History Museum. They sit directly across from each other with some green space in between, and both feature awesome internal features to the buildings themselves as well as impressive artwork and attractions. Even the Art History Museum café is a beautiful sight to behold.
The Ringstraße is a central road, in roughly a square shape, located in downtown Vienna. Many of these sites mentioned sit along this area, along with the Vienna Opera House. The building itself is another architectural marvel of Vienna, but I have not yet had the opportunity to visit inside or see a performance. Those who have done so speak highly of the opportunity, and tickets can be purchased for quite a cheap price if you are willing to sit in the less than desirable seating.
View of the United Nations Building and other modern architecture from the Donauturm.
35mm photo by Hunter.
The main cathedral in Vienna is St. Stephen’s, or Stephansdom. I find that any and every church in Europe is worth visiting and taking at least a look inside, and this one is no exception. You can also take the stairs up to the top of the South Tower for views of the city. I am always impressed by the design on the roof of Stephansdom as well. Near the cathedral, there is a medieval tree in a glass case attached to a building. It is a ‘nail tree’, because hundreds have nails have been pounded into it for good luck. Stephansplatz, the square around St. Stephen’s Cathedral, has many restaurants, galleries and shops to explore.
One of my favorite art museums in Vienna is the Belvedere Palace, which has an upper and lower building, with gorgeous gardens in between the two as well as a reflection pool in front of the upper building. This museum houses some works by Gustav Klimt, a famous Austrian artist, and many others. If you have to choose one art museum to visit during your stay, I would make it this one.
Two other churches to visit are Karlskirche and St. Francis of Assisi Church. These both feature unique architectural styles. Karlskirche also has a reflection pool out front, which makes for a beautiful experience to see the church reflecting at sunset or other times of day. I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting the inside of Assisi, but the outside is stunning and beautiful.
A slightly strange but honestly really impressive and interesting experience is to visit the main cemetery in Vienna, the Wiener Zentralfriedhof. So many famous people are buried here, including Beethoven and Mozart. The mausoleums and gravestones are all pretty spectacular, and you can wander through the Cemetery and buildings for quite a while. It is far outside of town, but worth a visit if this type of thing interests you. One section of the cemetery was also bombed during World War II, and they have left the grounds and stones exactly as they were disturbed, with a description of the incident. That was a very sobering picture.
Flakturm with the words “Never Again” written along the base.
35mm photo by Hunter.
Another remnant of World War II are the Flakturm, which are anti-aircraft towers built by Nazi Germany to fight against Allied air raids. They were also air raid shelters for local civilians. Vienna has quite a few and, evidently, they are very difficult to dismantle. Because of this, they have attempted to find new uses for the structures. One has been repurposed into the aquarium in Vienna. One has had its exterior repurposed into an outdoor climbing wall. Some are used for storage or are still being considered for various purposes. They are a sobering picture and reminder of the history in Germany. I have not yet seen one, but Hunter did visit and take photos. Importantly, the graffiti “Never Again” has been painted across the bottom.
To do
Although places to visit and see often involve ‘doing’ things, there are a few activities in particular that I would recommend. The first is to wander along Mariahilferstrasse, the main shopping street in Vienna. The Donauturm is a tower in Vienna, located outside of the main downtown area in a park. If you are interested in getting a birds-eye view of the city, this is the place to do it. We went at dusk/sunset, and it was so cool to see the light over the city. They also have a revolving restaurant and café at the top.
Donaupark and Donauturm.
35mm photo by Hunter.
The Prater is an amusement park area in Vienna. It has a few rides, food, and a giant Ferris wheel (Riesenrad), which has extremely large gondolas and offers more views of the city from above. I definitely enjoyed taking a couple of trips up on this Ferris wheel during my visits to Vienna.
The last location, and probably one of my favorite in all of Vienna, is Schloss Schonbrunn. This is the summer palace of the Habsburgs and is located a bit outside of downtown. If you have time and are interested, a tour of the interior shows some of the remarkable rooms and provides a great history of the location. But, no matter how much time I have, I always visit here to take a walk through the gardens. It is one of the most impressive ‘backyards’ I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The flowers are maintained and changed throughout the seasons, there is a rose garden and archways to one side of the palace, and at the very back of the gardens is a large hill with the Gloriette building at the top. This building houses a café and offers stunning views of Schonbrunn and the city of Vienna beyond. There is even a zoo in the gardens! If you are in Vienna, I highly recommend taking the time to see Schonbrunn. And walking through the gardens is free, so if nothing else you can at least do this!
Gloriette at the back of Schloss Schonbrunn gardens.
35mm photo by Hunter.
To eat
Now for the food! There are a few places that I absolutely love in Vienna, but I also find that I always enjoy just stopping in to a new café or restaurant to see what might be good. I am rarely disappointed in meals that I have while traveling, but my one piece of advice is that the main restaurants along the extra tourist-y or shopping streets are not always the best. While we were traveling with such a large group, we did eat at least one of these in Vienna, and I found that this advice did not necessarily apply. Everything was delicious! But the following are some recommendations for places that you should definitely make the time for if you can.
The best and most important in my mind is Café Central. The history, architecture, meals and desserts here are all spectacular. This is a café where the likes of Sigmund Freud would gather with others to drink coffee. The display cases on your way in are full of a wide variety of desserts. I’ll post a few of these over on my Instagram. We always like to take a quick look at these to help decide what we’ll order at the end of the meal. The Café often has a bit of a wait, but you will just stand in an orderly line and should be seated fairly efficiently and quickly. We even came with a large group and were able to sit next to each other at two tables. You should absolutely come here hungry and ready to eat. The food is so good, the caffeinated drinks (including teas) are all delicious, and you have to save room for dessert. Our strategy is usually to order three or more desserts and share them amongst two people. Just talking about this is making me hungry….
A few surprising places we discovered during our latest trip were El Burro and Hungry Guy. El Burro is a Mexican restaurant, with everything from burritos to nachos, and the food was so fresh and tasty. Hungry Guy is essentially a twist on Middle Eastern food. It was vegetable heavy, fresh pita were baking the whole time we were there, and it was so freaking good. This is a great place to go for family style sharing or if you alone are ready to dig in to some great food!
A staple in Vienna is Hotel Sacher. I mentioned this location in Salzburg as well, but Vienna is the original. It is a cool place to experience, and if you are a fan of apricot and chocolate you should absolutely visit to get a slice of the famous Sachertorte. It is a bit pricey and I believe does have a dress code, but if you enjoy experiences like this and want a literal taste of Austrian history, you should add it to your list of places to eat.
Connor in the Donaupark at sunset.
35mm photo by Hunter.
The unique and wonderful Naschmarkt is another popular landmark in Austria. This is an open air market, featuring everything from fresh cheeses and spices to tourist shops and restaurants and bars. You will definitely want to take a stroll through the Naschmarkt, and perhaps leave with a snack or meal or even a nice Vienna shot glass.
And the last three items do not have specific recommendations, just a bit of an urging to explore and find one you may like! Like much of Austria and Germany, Turkish immigrants have successfully brought their cuisine to Vienna and you will not want to leave without giving this a try. If you are a vegetarian, I have always remained a fan of the falafel options. But they also have options for the carnivores, and a variety of ways to select your meal. You choose the style of food you would like, and then are able to select either specific toppings or just everything they have to offer. I always opt for a falafel sandwich “mit Scharf” (spicy) and some French fries. We usually find a favorite place close to where we are staying, and if we ever have a desire for a late night snack after a long day of walking and exploring, this is where we will land. What I would give for a meal from one of these restaurants and a cold Radler right now!
Another must is the many bakeries throughout Austria. There are some that are larger chains (you will get familiar with those if you see multiple locations of the same name), and there are always more local places. This is where we will get a quick baked breakfast, or sometimes an afternoon snack of a Brezel (pretzel). I honestly find that almost any place you choose, even often a chain location, will be delicious and, importantly, cost effective.
The last place you should explore, eat and drink in are the many vineyards within the city limits of Vienna. I have only been to one outdoor vineyard restaurant, but I absolutely want to go back at some point. You can have traditional Austrian fare, including Wienerschnitzel, while tasting local wine. There are many different places to choose from, and you can do everything from a daytime walking tour, to a slow and lovely dinner, or a visit to a bar or restaurant later in the evening. If you have the time and this sort of experience interests you, I definitely encourage you to add it to your itinerary.
At the top of the Donauturm at sunset.
35mm photo by Hunt
Writing about Vienna has given me that homesick feeling for a place that has never technically been home. We did recently discover that my family is descended from the Habsburgs, so perhaps I have some sort of ancestral feeling calling me back ;) For now, I’ll reminisce, visit as frequently as I can, and dream of the ways I can someday live here. I hope you have the chance to visit and that these many recommendations and overviews will be helpful to you!