This was my yearly trip with friends- Vienna and Salzberg. I must confess though that what I was most excited about was that this was the land which inspired "The Sound of Music"- one of my top 5 favorite movies ever! I was soooo looking forward to seeing through the eyes of Maria and singing unabashedly in the hills that I had pre-warned my more "'normal" friends what to be prepared for!!!! I was also excited to see snow for the first time and kept my fingers crossed for some snowfall! Both these would have to wait, though, as they were in Salzberg and our first stop was Vienna.
My first impression of Vienna was that it was a city with much historic and artistic value. The buildings were decorative and georgous, there were church and cathedral spires and domes visible all around and the arts were everywhere in the form of music, dance, opera.
As with most European cities, Vienna is best explored on foot but as it is a large city, walking can be clubbed with the very user friendly and abundant public transport system. Buy individual tickets or if you plan to use public transport more often, buy a 24, 48 or 72 hour pass at any metro station for E8 onwards.( Buying at the station is cheaper than buying the Vienna card online) This pass needs to be validated at the first point of use only and can be used on the bus,underground or tram for its duration. In all the days I used it,I was never checked- you are simply expected to have a valid travel pass and I loved this culture of honesty and trust.
If you stay in a central location, most places of sightseeing are within walking distance( of course that depends on how much and how fast you walk!!!!) We ended up walking between 15000- 25000 steps a day- quite a bit but with stopping to visit places and breaks for food, it didn't feel too much. Just note that while walking, be very aware of the cycling paths as they too are along the same roads. At best you'll have hurrying cyclists yelling at you and at worst you could get knocked down and hurt so stay OFF them!
Day 1 we visited:
St.Stephens Cathedral which was stunning from the outside. One of the tallest in the world, it was truly breathtaking with its multicolored tiled roof as well as imposing spires and towers.It seemed comparatively simpler on the inside but still beautiful.
St.Peter's Church on the other hand was deceptively simple on the outside but breathtaking on the inside.
The Schonbrunn Place or Schlos Schonbrunn was a bit further out so we took the underground and got off at the Schonbrunn station right outside the palace.
We had gotten tickets online so avoided the queues. General tickets are E18 and if you wish to visit the zoo its a separate ticket of E18.
The palace, its grounds, the zoo and the garden maze are all open to the public and spread out over a large area. The whole distance is walkable or you can use the Panorama Bahn (mini train) for E8 to get around. For the romantic at heart, horse carriage rides are also available for E9 but they only tour the gardens.
The palace tour with audio guides took us about an hour and as with most European palaces it was beautiful, giving a glimpse into the lifestyle of royalty in the days past. Be prepared for crowds of tourists and much jostling though, esp in peak season, as the Palace is one of the city's tourist highlights.
As you look out of Schönbrunn Palace, across the gardens and up to the crest of the hill, you can see the imposing columns and arches of the Gloriette and after the tour we opted for the mini train to go up the hill to see the view from the top. If you can, do climb to the top of the Gloriette, a fairly easy climb, for the best views of Schlos Schonbrunn on the Palace grounds. A Ticket of E4.50 is need for the ascent and is available at the foot of the stairs going up.
Spend some peaceful time sitting and admiring the view before heading back down.
The Gloriette as seen from the Palace side
Views from atop the Gloriette
We opted to walk down the hill through the gardens on the way back and it was a lovely walk with great views and fountains to discover.
It was then back on the underground and to the Naschmarkt for lunch.
The Naschmarkt is the capital's largest and most vibrant outdoor market. Lined with restaurants and terraces, it's also a great place for people-watching and enjoying a drink or meal. One can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world, exotic herbs, cheese, baked goods, meats as well as ethnic ingredients and foods.
After looking around at the huge array of foods on offer, we managed to find a table at a local stall and had an amazing meal of a platter of assorted cold cuts, cheeses and olives...and of course wine!! We were allowed to choose our platter items which were then carefully weighed out and although it was expensive for the amount of food we got, it was all about the quality which was outstanding. Stopped at a famous sausage stall afterwards to grab a quick one too!
Exhausted by our adventures thus far, we went back to the hotel to rest up before heading out in the evening.
On our way to dinner we discovered what would become our favorite location in the city- Stephensplatz. This is an area in the center of Vienna anchored by the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is a pedestrian only area and is filled with boutiques,chocolatieres, bars, cafes and restaurants full of people out for the evening- the vibe is electric and buzzing and we loved it.
It was the sound of the bells of St.Stephens Cathedral, however, which I loved most- ringing out over the city and truly magical to hear.
One of the streets nearby had sheesha available, something we loved, so despite the cold and occasional rain we stopped there for a bit before going for dinner. The restaurant was a local favorite and usually fully booked days ahead but we had somehow managed to secure an elusive reservation! The food was great as expected but the dessert was super! (We went back another day too!) Definitely try and go there if you are in Vienna.
Shamelessly, despite having just eaten, we continued on to the original home of the Sacchertorte at the Saccher Cafe nearby to try out the famed dessert. Lovely place but the cake was unfortunately not my favorite- didn't like the sugar icing on top. They do have gift boxes of cake and chocolate in case you want to take some as presents for friends and family back home.
Time to call it a night and head home to digest all the food!!!
Day 2 started with an unexpected find of, what I assume, is a war monument( if anyone knows what this is please leave a mention). I stumbled upon this gem on the walk from the tram stop to The Belvedere. I have no idea of its significance but it was peaceful and beautiful and I had to stop for a few moments despite the rain.
The Belvedere was next. After a wander through the beautiful grounds and gardens I met up with my friends who were there to see the main attraction -the Kiss painted by Gustav Klimt. The ticket lines were huge as the computer system was down and as I am not such an art buff, I decided to skip Klimt(gasp!) and head out to explore. To be fair, the image of the famed painting was all around Vienna and VERY hard to miss- from phone cases, prints,scarves,bags, umbrellas you name it, it was "Kissed!" - for me this was good enough!!
The Belvedere and some Klimt "Kiss" merchandise
Leaving my friends with a plan to catch up for lunch, I had a quick breakfast at the on site cafe and headed out to the Hundertwasser House that I'd read about so much.
Took a train there as it seemed quite far and eventually found the location after some walking and assistance from google maps(bless it!) What a fun and quirky place it was! Still in use, it is an apartment building conceptualized by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an artist, which looked like the set out of a hobbit movie - unusual and very photo-worthy!
Right opposite the Hundertwasserhaus is the Hundertwasser Village, which is open to visitors.The artist created his own shopping center here with a "village square", bars and numerous stores selling local souvenirs .
I would have loved to sit with a drink and take in the ambiance but didn't have the time and after a quick look around(its not very big) I made my way back to the city center, this time by bus!
After reconnecting with my friends for a quick lunch, it was time for a tour of the famous Vienna Opera House. Tickets for this tour are available only at the venue on the same day. Tour times often change so best to keep an eye on the board outside regarding the same. The tours are offered in different languages but the queues to get the tickets begin early and are long so go early and take turns waiting in line. Its a 30 minute tour costing E 9 a person and is a nice way to spend the afternoon. As expected the various waiting rooms and stage are grand and the productions elaborate- would have loved to actually watch a performance but at this short notice prices were way too much for us- will plan better if I visit again!
Vienna Opera House From the outside
And the inside
From the Opera House we strolled around the Museum Quarter admiring the decorative buildings and vast surroundings. It would take days to actually enter the various museums and truly appreciate their wonder so it was like skimming the surface but a beautiful surface it was!
Back to the hotel for a quick rest before heading out to St. Charles Cathedral for a local Mozart concert. The atmosphere was no doubt serene and it was a unique experience but I must confess I went at the insistence of my companions as classical concerts are not my thing, so for me it was something I wouldn't do again. It was 1 hour of music at a cost of E40. If it is something you would enjoy, most cathedrals have kiosks outside selling performance tickets- just ask. There are also many touts selling all sorts of tickets to practically any kind of performance in the city but be careful when buying these as they may be poor quality productions/seats/locations etc.
The evening ended on a high note as we strolled along the St. Stephenplatz and stopped again for a relaxing sheesha after a full days exploring!
It was off on a road trip to Salzberg tomorrow!!