Vienna, Austria

Our latest adventure began in Vienna, Austria. Side note: had I not already traveled through Salzburg, I would have began there, then went to Vienna. We had a full three days, which I say is the minimum. This allowed for two full days of museum, monuments, and palace excursions. We allowed our last day to lazy around, having a park picnic and a ride out to the wine region. This was so worth it and it ended up being favorite day of the 2 week trip. Vienna is truly beautiful, with it’s grandiose architecture, grand palaces, museums of all types, and seemingly every street is littered with shops and cafes. Coffee culture supposedly started here, so it’s worth taking time each day to visit a cafe or two for a drink. You don’t take coffee to go. You sit, you relax, and enjoy. It is no wonder art and culture lovers flock to this city.

Something I love about Vienna is how alive it feels. The cafes are filled, the streets are bustling, and people seem to really enjoy their down time without a sense of urgency. Coming from Los Angeles, this is a beautiful thing to see.

My husband and I are not exactly art/museum lovers. We prefer modern art and historical exhibits. Even with our taste, we found plenty of interesting things to do in Vienna. We most enjoyed visiting the palaces so we could walk around and learn more about the Hapsburg reign. While the city is extremely walk-able, the use of their efficient public transportation system allows you to cover even more ground.

Here’s what we did on the first two days. We bought the Vienna pass for 2 days which is well worth the slightly high price. Since we bought a two day, not three, we made sure day 1 and 2 were filled with activities covered by the pass. This is the transportation card, which I also recommend. I saw mixed reviews but we are so glad we got it. Yes, Vienna is walk-able, but it is a BIG city. You will still be walking your booty off, but the public transportation helps get to districts easier. We were also able to take it out to wine country, a palace outside the city, as well as use most lines inside the city. It’s worth noting that the public transportation is very safe, clean, efficient, and easy to maneuver.

To do:

Museum quarter – good area to walk around if you are undecided where to start or which museums to go to. No shortage here!
Naschmarkt market – we stopped here on our first day to stroll through and grab lunch.
St. Stephens Cathedral – We passed through while walking the city but didn’t spend much time there. Beautiful Gothic church, but Europe has no shortage of these
State Opera House – we only went outside. I’ve read it’s worth trying to go for a show but that wasn’t something we were interested in doing
Hofburg Palace – we jut walked around outside
Schönbrunn Palace – we took the train out here. One of my favorite places. With the Vienna pass, you skip the line and get an audio tour of the palace. We both thought it was absolutely stunning inside. The tour taught us a lot about influential rulers during the Hapsburg reign. It was fascinating. The pass also lets your ride the train around the palace and gets you into the zoo. Plan for at least 3 hours at the palace if you want to do these things.
Belvedere Palace – Once we actually found the entrance, we enjoyed strolling the palace grounds and admiring the gardens
Albertina – several different exhibits, including Picasso and Monet. For people who aren’t really into art, we did enjoy this museum. Cool views from the terrace outside too.
Mumok Museum – Modern art museum. I have to admit it wasn’t my favorite. I may have been too tired at this point and jealous of all the people lounging, relaxing, and enjoying happy hour outside the museum, or maybe the exhibits just weren’t my thing.
Risenrad Ferris Wheel – on our park picnic excursion, we visited the Ferris wheel. There is also an amusement park which is kind of cool to walk around.
Wine taste/drink – We took the train out to the wine region. I highly suggest this if time permits. It’s such a beautiful coutryside just 20 minutes outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. The town was charming and there was no shortage of wineries to visit. We hiked out to Buschenschank Ing. Andreas Wagner (?) and I promise it’s worth the walk. Map it because it can get confusing. Once you’re there, the views are breathtaking, and it’s the perfect place to peacefully share a bottle of wine.

Eat/Drink:

I thought I was pretty prepared with vegetarian options, but I have to admit, I struggled. The hangry moments were eased by quick stops to the market for fresh fruit.

I found 1 amazing vegan cafe, simply raw, that I should have gone back to more. Friendly staff, great selection
Naschmarket – we made a stop here after walking around for hours. The place we chose wasn’t anything special, but here are tons of places to choose from
Cafe Central – Recommended on all the tour sites, was worth the visit. I had a tasty vegetarian pasta and we split a strudel. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s beautiful inside, full of history, and the service is special, especially coming from laid-back southern California. It will have a wait, so plan for that.
Das Loft – Located at the top of the Sofitel. Great view of the city, especially at sunset. The decor is beautiful with an amazing ceiling. Fun place to grab drinks.
Brezl Gwölb – The pretzels, so warm and baked fresh. I had more pasta and Robbie got a traditional Austrian meat dish. Very cute traditional place, good service, and delicious food.
Picnic – We picked up some sandwiches, hummus, veggies, and fruit and headed to Prater which is a large public park. It also has the Risenrad Ferris Wheel and an amusement park. There’s plenty of grass space too if you just want to chill.
Buschenschank Ing. Andreas Wagner for wine tasting